Sonic and the Deliberate Mary Sue 3
by Velvet D'Coolette
Summary: Starla returns once more, this time with a companion in tow. This friend leaves much to be desired, and Starla needs truer friends - like the Knothole Freedom Fighters. But did she burn her bridges in the first two instalments?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: "Sonic the Hedgehog" and most other characters and situations in the following story are copyrighted trademarks of Sega Incorporated, Archie Comics and/or DIC Productions. Permission to reproduce this specific material may be granted by the author so long as you email first. (c)2008 velvetdcoolette .

SONIC AND THE DELIBERATE MARY SUE 3 CHAPTER 1

Knothole had a way of being calm and light. Maybe it was the backdrop of leaves and trunks that lent a placid dark green setting behind the huts, or maybe it was the constant rustle of leaves and the sweet song of birds. Perhaps it was simple association: this _was_ a wonderful place to live. Of course, it could very easily be the perfectly clear river that ran the whole length of the village and beyond; for water had a way of leaving people relaxed and happy. Even the lumpy grey clouds overhead and the steady fall of rain didn't dampen the hideout's cheerful ambience.

Especially so today for a Mr. Antoine D'Coolette. He surveyed the contents of his luggage case and ran through a mental list of what he would need. Clothes? Yes. Soap pods? A whole bag. Writing materials? Present. Money? Just enough; but a dish-washing job during the holiday would help. Mercia was his homeland: it would provide on that front. Most importantly, space? Yes, there was space. He loved to bring home presents for his friends and there was room enough in the case for those, too.

It seemed Antoine had everything he would need. Satisfied, he shut the case and pushed the clasps into position. At the sound, his friends turned to look at him and he, anticipating this, looked at them too.

"Are you ready?" Princess Sally asked.

"Why yes, my princess," he replied. "Everyzing," he continued proudly as he rested his hand on the luggage, "iz in 'ere!"

Sally smiled at him and got up from her seat. Bunnie did the same, and the others followed suit. Bunnie sighed with a light sadness.

"Ah'm gonna miss ya, Sugartwan!" she said, and offered him a hug.

"I shall be 'appy to send you greetings when I get zere, Bunnie," he replied.

"Ah, come on, Bunnie!" Sonic chipped in. "He's only going on a trip! You're actin' like you'll never see him again!"

The rest of the group laughed and the two animals disentangled themselves. Antoine picked the case up from the bed where it had been laid. He made for the door and looked back at them all, his hand on the door handle. "All of you must to be looking after of yourzelves! Now, au revioir!"

And, with a grin, he walked outside to begin the journey. His comrades came to the door.

"So long, Ant!"

"Have fun!"

"Bring me back some of that fish paste, yeah?"

Antoine looked over his shoulder one last time and laughed good-naturedly in response to his friends.

SONIC SATAM

Sally turned a page on the notepad and scribbled on it, drawing a hurried table that she would later expect to fill. Then she looked up at the others.

"Okay," she summarized, "So we have several possibilities: under the floor tiles, in the ventilation ducts or attached to a piece of hardware in the room itself. Any thoughts, guys?"

Rotor absent-mindedly manipulated a pencil in his own hand as he thought through these options. Finally he took a breath and slowly said, "It's gonna be difficult to make a microphone that's sensitive enough to go under the floor... But it looks like the safest choice."

"The ducts sound like a good ahdea," Bunnie offered. "Safe, easy to get into... Why not there?"

Rotor shook his head slightly in response. "Yeah, but they're not gonna be that much better than putting it under the floor. The sound's gonna be muffled. But yeah, it's safe." he paused and looked at Sonic and Sally, knowing that they'd be the ones taking most of the risks. "I dunno," he concluded, "I'm not sure yet." He looked up to see if anybody else wanted to speak.

Sonic looked like he had something to say: "It's no biggie; we can handle it, right Sal? Just give me the ol' mike: I'll get into Sniv's room and put it anywhere you want. It'll take me a sonic second!"

Sally caught Rotor's eye; and he hers. They grinned knowingly at eachother. "Heh, Sonic?" he answered, "I'm not sure you'd get this mike fitted and configured so quickly."

Sonic turned to Sally. "D'you think you can fit it quick, Sal? I mean, it's no toughie, right?" But Sally shook her head.

"It depends on where exactly we can put it," she said regretfully. "We don't want it to be discovered, and you know how sharp Snively can be. It'd be great if we could get it onto a piece of Snively's hardware or maybe his furniture... but I'm with Bunnie on this; I think the ducts would be the best place. The sound isn't so bad from there, right?" Rotor nodded a little at this, but seemed to be deep in thought. Finally Sally prompted him to speak. "What is it, Rotor?"

"I might be able to make the mike a little more sensitive," he replied slowly, "but I'd need to see what we can get from the scrapheap."

Still poring over the notes, the animals continued to talk the problem through. They considered making a flat bug to put on a wall, floor or ceiling, but nobody had much confidence in that; Sally suggested they remove a bar from a vent and replace it with a narrow device, but Rotor pointed out that the bars were too difficult to remove in such a dangerous location. Bunnie even had the ingenius idea of trying to stitch a tiny bug into the hem of Robotnik's cloak if they could get at it, but 'though the rest of the team laughed, the idea was eventually discarded when Rotor said he couldn't make a microphone so small.

They eventually stuck with Bunnie's idea of fitting it in the ducts.

SONIC SATAM

"Come on, Starla!" groaned Phyre from the doorway to the classroom, folding his arms and looking around impatiently. Starla, crouching beside her desk, furrowed her brow as she hurried to pack her science books into her bag. She hated to keep Phyre waiting - it made her feel panicky. Stuffing the last of her books in, and hardly noticing that she'd bent several of the pages, she clipped the bag together and slung it over her shoulder: finally she was ready!

"Let's go!" she said brightly. But his attention had been drawn away: he was looking out the window, ignoring her. Starla craned her neck to follow his gaze, though she was already pretty sure of what to expect. _Yep,_ she thought glumly: he was eyeing up another girl again. This time it was Rhaine, with her perfect, soft curves and prettily-contrasting blue-with-pale-dapples fur and lilac mane. The mare's sweeping tail swished behind her, accentuating her ample hips - and, therefore, her very narrow waist. Starla clenched her teeth, trying not to feel afraid, but as she looked back at her lover - who was still ogling Rhaine - she couldn't help but worry. But she tried to shake the feeling free: Phyre was with _her,_ not Rhaine.

But the expression on his face wasn't reassuring.

"Let's go," repeated Starla, only too aware of the nervous tremble in her voice, and nudged him toward the doorway and into the hall. By the time they got outside Rhaine would be out of sight. She hoped.

SONIC SATAM

Sonic carried Sally as he sprinted through the gates of Robotropolis and into the grubby, polluted city streets. As they neared the main hub where Robotnik and Snively worked, he skidded to a halt and set the ground squirrel onto her feet. He approached the vent and pulled the grille free while, at the rear, she looked around nervously in case they'd been detected.

The grille slid out of its frame easily enough and he set it on the ground. "Piece of cake," he announced. Sally needed no further encouragement and clambered deftly into the vent. Once inside, she knelt on one leg and waited for Sonic to crawl in and replace the grate. They faced eachother and she smiled at Sonic's confident and positive - and handsome! - visage.

"Right," Sally said and put her fists up. "Let's do it to it!"

The pair made the signal and began the inch-by-inch journey through the metal tunnel.

SONIC SATAM

They walked together through the double-doors and out into the fresh air. As they went, Starla looked around at the school grounds, at the other students, each doing their thing. She was on Phyre Blackpaw's arm and that was where she belonged! Her position there marked her as the prettiest, the sexiest, the most desirable girl here; Sandhall High's Year Queen! She felt regal just now! Satisfied with her social position, she put her head up, re-folded her wings more smoothly and strode alongside her man, secure in the-

"Hel- _lo, Baby!_ "

Phyre's words instantly knocked the confidence from Starla, and she looked around in search of the girl he'd just spoken to. Her whole body tensed: _Naomi!_ And she was looking incredible too, in knee-high boots, a waistcoat that squeezed her breasts together perfectly, a cool hat and cut-off jeans. The reptile-cheetah hybrid was looking at Phyre with a knowing glint in her eye.

 _Don't you dare,_ Starla mentally threatened. Her rival slunk down from the low wall she'd been sitting on, posing seductively as her feet touched the ground.

"Hello, Phyre. So I see you guys are goin' somewhere, huh?" she asked silkily. Starla knew she was pretending to talk to them both but was really only speaking to Phyre. Starla shot him a pleading look; he remained completely unaware she was doing so. She looked back at Naomi, struggling to smooth the jagged ripple of worry that made her skin crawl.

"Hell yeah, baby!" Phyre replied, flirting right back at her, "I'm goin' to Dark's party tonight."

 _What do you mean,_ "I'm _going to Dark's party?! We_ both _are!_

Naomi caught Starla's eye and subtly looked her up and down, before dismissing her. She sauntered a little closer to Phyre until her face was suggestively close to his. "Well, then I guess I'll come along, too!" she said in a quiet, cut-glass whisper. _Don't you dare! Don't you_ dare! Starla thought desperately. Something caught her attention at that moment; a dry, dusty smell. She frowned as she tried to place it, but her attention was almost wholly on Naomi and the moves she was pulling on Phyre - and those he was pulling on her in return. Starla was unwilling to concentrate on anything but her rival. The sexily reptilian cat held position for a few seconds, and then slunk past Starla as if to leave. Once a few steps away she turned back to look at Phyre again, and Starla saw the intent in her eyes. She wasn't going to tolerate this!

"Why don't you back off, you slut!" she growled at Naomi. That dusty scent returned, but she paid it no heed, although for some reason it bugged her. _Not now,_ she thought. _Let me get rid of this bitch first!_

Naomi feigned hurt at her words. "Starla! You didn't just call me a slut, did you?" she batted her eyelashes. " _You_ don't think I'm a slut, do you, Phyre?" she asked the dark-furred male in her girliest voice.

He was just about to answer when that dusty scent returned in full-force to Starla's nostrils; at the same time a sucking wind pulled her backwards and, instinctively, she grabbed Phyre's arm. Just for a moment Starla saw Naomi's expression show surprise. Phyre wasn't heavy enough to keep them both grounded and with a grunt of protest, he was pulled in

 _to the vortex with her. The two animals had been standing and talking, their wings folded against their backs, but suddenly they found themselves unsupported by any ground, and they fell._

 _Starla looked for him: it had just dawned on her what had happened - they were both in the space between universes! Opening her wings in a panic, she shouted down to her lover, "FLY!"_

 _His wings jerked open in an instant and he beat his way up level with her. He circled irritably, head casting one way and then the other to work out what this strange place was and why he was here._

 _"Where the hell is this?!" he demanded. Starla circled along with him, struggling to keep close to him and anxious to find the way out as soon as possible._

 _"This is where I come to when I disappear," she explained hurriedly, trying to get him to calm down. She worried when he got like this. He tended to go off on his own when he got angry, and when that happened she never knew what he was doing or who he was with..._

 _"Damn that to hell, Starla, everybody knows you ran away!" he snapped back._

 _"No! I've never run away!" she shouted back immediately, the blood pumping hard in her ears with the stress of arguing with her love. Then she checked herself and lowered her voice to a normal level. "There's another universe nearby and... a-and that's where I go. I just get pulled through to here sometimes."_

 _Phyre beat his way higher than she, looked down at her as if she had two heads and sneered. "You're a freak," he said finally._

 _Starla felt her wings tremble a little at those words, so she shook them to keep herself in control of her flight. She looked outwards and saw what she was looking for: a suspended halo of light. She broke out of the spiral and headed there._

 _"That's what we're looking for," she called. "Follow me."_

 _Phyre silently pulled out of his own flight circle and did so, maintaining an ominous distance behind her, even when she slowed down for him to catch up. With her in the lead, they_

passed through into clear sky over green, gently rolling meadows. A village sat nestled against the forest up ahead. Starla led her boyfriend towards it.

SONIC SATAM

Snively watched the screen with interest; Freedom Fighters Sonic Hedgehog and Princess Sally Acorn had just pulled a grate out of the ventilation system - as cocky as if it were their own - and infiltrated Robotropolis' inner control system. Now they were out of sight.

Snively, although he would never wish to admit it, was very much like his uncle: although a swift kill held a kind of appeal, playing with his prey was far more attractive, the way a cat would toy with a mouse. Right now, his prey were almost cornered and presumably felt secure in their enclosed little world. An evil grin played on his face: so they thought they could outwit him with such a simple trick, did they? He would observe them, then, and let them think they had been succesful in evading him. He opened a hatch to his left and tapped a command into the odd keyboard of buttons there. A Spybot, one built essentially as a modified chimney sweep, disconnected from the inner wall of the vent and, crawling on spindly metal legs, stalked the two animals silently.

Snively leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers as he watched its progress through the ventilation shaft. One tap of the keyboard offered him a live feed of the sounds coming from those tunnels.

"Yo, Sal," the hedgehog's voice echoed from ahead of the Spybot. "There's gonna be hundreds of places for the mike in these cables; what d'ya think?"

"Maybe. I think you're right, Sonic."

 _Mike?_ They intended to install a microphone? _Interesting..._ Snively slowly drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair as he watched and listened for more information, silently pleased to be spying first on those who intended to spy on him. Oh, he would play with them alright...

SONIC SATAM

Sally crouched as she scribbled further information onto her notepad. Finishing swiftly, she looked up at Sonic.

"Right, that's it!" she said. "I've got all the notes Rotor'll need."

"So that's all we gotta do here now, right?" Sonic confirmed. The princess nodded and he looked around. "Let's go."

SONIC SATAM

Snively heard this signal and tapped a silent command to the Spybot. In response it fitted its skinny legs against the edges of the duct and pushed its narrow body against the ceiling until it made a near-perfect fit, looking more like a set of cable ducts or a humidity gauge than anything else. He continued to watch the screen as Sally, then Sonic, loomed large, scraped lightly against the hidden robot's body and passed underneath it.

Now the freedom fighters were on their way out the robot could provide no more information, so he reviewed what he'd learned. They intended to bug his room, but they hadn't decided where it should go; they certainly hadn't fitted it.

On another of the screens, he watched Sonic and Sally pull themselves out of the duct. Sonic picked up the princess and sped away. Neither, it seemed, were aware that they had been seen.

Satisfied that he had all the information he could get for now, he set the Spybot on standby. It would be ready to alert him should those ducts be invaded again. It would bring him more information on the next stage of their mission.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2

Sonic and Sally arrived back in Knothole without incident. They'd departed unhindered in Robotropolis and the scouting trip had been as uneventful as they'd hoped. Sally smiled at Sonic and they approached Rotor's open-fronted workshop, eager to talk about the vent layout. He would be the one building the mike, after all. As they approached, Sally noticed Bunnie there, supervising Tails; together they played catch with a ball while Rotor worked on some other project. At Sonic and Sally's approach, all three looked over.

"Sonic! Sally!" Tails announced happily and left Bunnie holding the ball as he ran up to Sally for a hug. She embraced him warmly.

"Hi honey," she replied softly.

"Hey, little bro!" said Sonic, and Tails looked over at him.

"Hey, Sonic," he grinned, ever the overexcited child. "Did you put the thing in Robotnik's room?"

Sally looked up at Bunnie and the pair shared a soft laugh. "Um, no sweetheart, not yet," she said. "We've still got lots of planning to do before we can do that!"

"Uh huh," Tails conceded as if already losing interest in the idea.

Sally let the rucksack slide off her shoulder so that she could open it. She sidestepped Tails, bringing the notes to Rotor: widths and quantities of cables, materials, approximate sizes. She pulled them out of the bag and offered them to the walrus.

Rotor flicked through her notes, briefly examining them. "Hey, great!" he said enthusiastically. "There's plenty of space in there... Yep," he confirmed. "I can make a great mike in the space we got to work with. Now all I need is the stuff!"

Sonic and Sally grinned at each other triumphantly. "Great!" Sally said. "So: what do you need?"

"Well," he began, eyeing the dimensions Sally had written down, "I'm gonna need a couple of sets of thumb nuts - size 44 - and I'll look around for some D washers... And do you think you can look around for-"

"Oh!" Bunnie exclaimed suddenly, staring out into the meadow. "Look who it is!"

Sally, and then Sonic, Tails and Rotor, looked; to her surprise - and disappointment - the pink alien Starla had appeared again. Beside Sally, Rotor frowned and huffed irritably. It was already clear that he didn't want to deal with her. But this time, noted Sally, something was different: Starla had a companion.

"Tails?" Bunnie said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group. "Do you wanna go play in the sand by the river, honey?"

There was a pause before Tails answered. "Uh... okay, aunt Bunnie." That tone of voice made it clear he understood he was being asked to leave. But first he craned his neck to look at Starla better. "Is that Starla?"

"Yes, honey," Bunnie sighed. "We'll deal with her. Now go on, go play in the sand." And with that, he reluctantly sloped off along the river.

Sally and the rest of the Freedom Fighters watched the pair approach; now that they were closer, she could see Starla's companion in more detail.

He was a little taller than Starla, with almost-black fur. Just visible on his thighs, shoulders and cheeks were green stripes, similar to those of a tiger; she presumed they were thicker on his back. A pair of wings erupted from his shoulders, but unlike Starla's the flight surfaces were made of leathery skin instead of being coated with feathers. His eyes were slitted like a cat's; long black pupils set into dark red orbs. His coat was slightly shaggy and added a rakish air to his face; he was handsome. His expression was arrogant and carefree.

Not so Starla, Sally noted as the pair drew closer. Her initial suspicion that Starla didn't look happy was confirmed as she saw the subtler expressions of worry on her face: the tensed jaws, the way her gaze flicked around uncertainly, the set of her wings and tail - not the pose of a relaxed animal. Wondering what the relationship was between these two, Sally walked around from behind the workbench to meet them.

"Hi," she offered the male a brief smile, then turned to Starla. "Welcome back. Who's your friend?" she asked, that tone the most neutral manageable.

"Um," Starla began, and then paused. Sally tilted her head, not only to encourage Starla, but to pay closer attention to her tone. She was definitely very tense. "This is Phyre. My mate." _Your mate?_ Sally thought with surprise. But Phyre was about to speak so she left the thought alone for now.

"Hi, beautiful!" Phyre said to Sally in a smooth voice, checking her up and down. Sally was surprised at how foward he was being; he looked deep into her eyes and grinned devilishly. For a moment, she felt flustered: he was drop-dead gorgeous! She could see why Starla had paired with him.

"Heh," she laughed, "Good to meet you, Phyre. I've heard a lot about you."

The male looked enquiringly around at Starla, and Sally found herself following his gaze. Starla was standing absolutely still, watching every move each of them made. To break the tension Sally decided to introduce Phyre to the rest of the group.

"So," she said, and cleared her throat to regain her composure. "This is Sonic-"

"Hi," the hedgehog greeted.

"and this is Rotor-"

"Hey," the walrus said.

"and this is Bunnie."

"Hi there," the rabbit drawled.

"Hi," Phyre smoothed, the word lengthening like dripping honey. As if to get closer to her, he leaned flirtatiously across the bench. It was clear that he liked the look of her and for a moment, Sally saw that Bunnie was nonplussed by this. Then Bunnie's gaze flicked over to Starla and she seemed to decide she'd respond to Phyre's attention.

"Well, hi yourself!" she flirted back. "You musta come a long way!"

Phyre chuckled silkily at this. "That don't matter, baby," he replied, "'Cos now, I'm right here with ya!"

Sally saw Bunnie take another quick look at Starla, and checked on the female alien herself. Starla's eyes were wide as if fearfully taking in every nuance of Phyre and Bunnie's conversation. Her nostrils were slightly flared and her jaw was slightly slack. She looked as tense an archer's apprentice with an apple balanced on his head.

"So where we gonna put you, huh?" Bunnie laughed, subtly appraising Phyre's body.

"Wherever you want me, girl!"

"I know just the place. Come on," she said softly and slunk in the direction of Starla's hut, looking over her shoulder for Phyre to follow, which he did. They disappeared around the corner and silence fell. Sally instinctively found herself looking over at Starla again, unsure of how she'd respond.

The silence stretched on and Sally saw again the knifepoint of worry that set Starla's features on edge. But she knew Bunnie; nothing would really come of her showing Phyre around the hut. Sally was almost certain Bunnie's flirting with Starla's boyfriend was just for show, so to distract Starla she said:

"Uh... Okay." That brought Starla's attention back to her. "I guess you'll want to get back soon. Are you happy to do that, Starla?"

"Uhm, y-yes," she said tensely and looked in Phyre and Bunnie's direction again.

"Right. Rotor, do you mind getting a bottle made up as soon as possible?" she asked. He nodded and set the notepad to one side. Starla's nerves were clearly still jangling, so as Rotor set about this latest task Sally sidled up to her and added quietly, "Don't worry; Bunnie's just going to show Phyre around. Okay?"

But Starla didn't respond.

SONIC SATAM

Meanwhile, in Robotropolis, Snively was busy developing a project of his own. So the Freedom Fighters planned to spy on him, did they? Well, not only would they fail, not only would he fight them at their own game ( _And win!_ he thought), but he would repay their insolence in spades.

Their ignorance of his discovery would be the death of them. Oh, it would be his proudest moment!

Feeling delectably cruel, Snively kept an eye on the surveillance screens, a small camera now inserted into the empty shaft of a cable. With a camera concealed in the area prior to their inevitable return, he would be able to observe the attempt to bug him. That one of the cables they worked beneath would betray them to their enemy, The Freedom Fighters would have not the faintest shadow of an idea...

SONIC SATAM

In Starla's hut, Bunnie was showing Phyre around. And, she decided, she was enjoying his attention. It felt good to be flirted with, and better still that the male who's head she had turned was Starla's own mate. _Who's the superior one now, Starla?_ she thought gleefully to herself. As she opened the kitchen cupboard, she stretched so that Phyre could see her hourglass shape more clearly.

"So there you go, enough food to last you for days," she said, and closed it again. She turned to face him, and saw that he'd moved over to the bed. He leaned back a little and smoothed the sheets beside him.

"Come and sit with me, gorgeous," he purred.

Bunnie paused at this. Was he trying to get her on the bed so that..? No, surely not! They were getting along well, but they'd only just met. It was too early. Not to mention she was only 14. Wasn't that a little too soon? _Well, if he asks, I can always say no,_ she thought and offered him a warm smile. _Maybe I'll just offer him a kiss,_ she thought and sat down beside him.

SONIC SATAM

Starla had decided she couldn't stand the tension any more; Phyre loved women - he never made a secret of that. That he had chosen her two months ago she was flattered, but she didn't trust him in the presence of other females. And what Bunnie would do behind her back she had no idea.

Was Sally right when she said there was nothing to worry about? She hoped so. Nevertheless, being away from Phyre always made her feel fearful so she decided to go to the hut. It was, after all, her home until Rotor had produced the hydrogen to send them both back.

She got to the hut in almost no time at all and stood for a moment, looking at it apprehensively. Before pushing the door open she tilted an ear toward it; she could hear the deep hum of his voice as he spoke and it sent the familiar thrill through her. But it was a thrill laced with worry. She couldn't make out his words, but when she heard Bunnie's own throaty voice add itself to the mix, she pushed on the door and stepped inside.

She stopped dead. The scene that greeted her was the one she had feared most: both were on the bed; Bunnie was closest to the pillows. Worse, she was leaning back and her eyes were locked onto Phyre's; he in turn was leaning over her and, most sickeningly of all, his hand was on her thigh. Both of them froze and looked her way in surprise. Nobody moved.

The sick wave of shock that had at first washed over Starla gave way to weakness and painful dread and she turned away. Her hands trembling, she stumbled down the steps and ran away, around the back of the huts and into the shadows thrown by the trees - anywhere she could remain unseen in her moment of humiliation at Bunnie's hands. When she was sure she was on her own, she slowed. Her breath was harsh and loud: she cupped her muzzle to try to calm down.

 _She wanted him,_ she thought shriekingly, _and she's got him! He went to her..._

That could only mean that they were in danger of not being an item any more, that he might leave her for Bunnie. _Oh, please, no!_

SONIC SATAM

Bunnie sat, stunned by this turn of events. She'd been busy trying to stop Phyre. That wouldn't be difficult in itself, but she hadn't expected to see Starla turn up that very moment. Starla's face had been a mask of horror, and Bunnie realised that the pink female had seen her worst fear. Bunnie knew she'd caused that, and it occurred to her just then that she'd actually played a pretty bum game here. Looking at the situation from this fresh perspective, she felt ashamed by her behaviour and shocked by Phyre's relentless attitude. After this - being caught by his girlfriend - she expected him to back off. She was surprised when he tried to continue.

"So come on, baby!" he whispered and she shot him a look.

"But... But-" she countered. He ignored her protests.

"Let's get it on..."

He stroked further up her body onto the living flesh of her waist and tried to push her further down onto the bed, and she saw red. She grabbed his wrist with her robotic hand and squeezed it. She'd only intended to make him squirm, get away from him – but with her anger fuelling the pressure, she heard his bones crack.

"AARGH!" he cried and sprang backwards. He shook his hand and growled with pain. " _Geez..._ "

Still angry, Bunnie straightened her leotard and put her hands on her hips. "Well, that's what you get," she said smartly, "for tryin' that on with me. Ah hope Starla's happy with ya." And at that, she walked out of the hut.

SONIC SATAM

Sonic was enjoying the afternoon. He and Sally had done the latest part in the mission. Now they just had to wait for Rotor to get on with his part. Although Sonic was noted for being impatient, he kind of liked the fact that he was sometimes made to wait. It forced him to take time out and relax. That was one of the best things about having a friend as easy-going as Rotor. So for now, he sat against a tree, watched the world go by and counted clouds.

He heard a rustle; he looked to the left and saw Phyre stalk out from behind the main village. He looked as if in a bad mood. He was also holding his hand as if it hurt. Sonic sat up and called to him.

"Yo! Phyre!"

Phyre looked over; his expression lightened a little and he changed course to come within talking distance. "Hey, man," he greeted.

"Hey," Sonic returned, indicating Phyre's apparent injury. "What's with the hand?"

Phyre scowled for a second and then affected nonchalance. "I got in an accident," he said off-handedly. Something else seemed to cross his mind, and he snorted at a private thought. "What is it with women, man? I just don't get it."

Sonic looked up at him in surprise. What was Phyre getting at? Then he realised: _Oh, yeah. He's with Starla._ He could hardly guess what being with _her_ was like, but the idea wasn't cool. Unsure of how else to respond, he shrugged. "Ah, you know. that's just girls for ya!" Phyre laughed at this and Sonic joined in.

"Totally!" Phyre agreed, then smirked as he looked toward the horizon. "I mean, they always gotta have it just the way they want it. 'Do this; don't do that'. Geez, it just don't stop!"

Sonic grinned at Phyre, silently sharing his contempt of Starla. Then he searched the horizon too. He wasn't sure why, it just seemed the thing to do. "Uh huh. Sal gets like that. She gets in my ear about stuff all the time." Well, it wasn't strictly true; Sonic knew he wound her up. He enjoyed it - seeing Sally ticked off was funny! - but he was having fun talking with Phyre right now and comparing experiences; Phyre was a good guy. So he played along.

Phyre offered him an insufferable look. "Really? Damn," he commented. "I'm not gettin' near _her._ It's just one order after another."

There was a silence and Phyre tucked his hands behind his head so that he could lean against the tree behind him, then winced as he put pressure on his hand. Swearing under his breath, he look at it again.

"Wanna take that to the doc?" Sonic suggested.

"Uhh..." Phyre said, and then looked bored. "'Guess so."

Sonic pointed over to Dr. Draftwood's office. "S'over there," he said lazily. "He should be in; he usually is about this time."

Phyre got to his feet and looked at the hut. "See ya later, man. Keep it tight, yeah?" he said to Sonic and headed toward it, leaving the hedgehog to think over their conversation and wonder just where Starla was right now, anyway.

Not getting into more trouble, he hoped.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: "Sonic the Hedgehog" and most other characters and situations in the following story are copyrighted trademarks of Sega Incorporated, Archie Comics and/or DIC Productions. Permission to reproduce this specific material may be granted by the author so long as you email first. (c)2008 velvetdcoolette .

CHAPTER 3

Snively had been busy indeed! He'd stayed up well into the early hours putting a set of fiddly little tentacle-based robots together, section by paintaking section. Now, on the worktop, he had a team of eight. They stood end-up on their bases, which were all-purpose sockets, just as he had built them. Those bases would easily attach to the inner surface of the vent. That was what he had intended: they would grip onto the flat surfaces, corners and cables in the ventilation vent.

Each robot was composed of a prehensile arm - a free-moving tentacle with telescopic joints. At full length, they were each the length of his arm and half again. Drawn back into their own shells they were but half the length of his thumb. Slim, and with cables down their centres to reinforce their strength, they would be difficult to break. And at their tips, each had a simple claw. A modified hand-cuff, spring-loaded and ready to grip onto their target. And their targets would be Sonic and Sally.

He grinned at the bizarre regiment, their assembly complete; now all he needed to do was install them in the vent. The camera-cable was long-since finished. _And now to set the trap._

He walked across to the opposite side of the room and fished a box out of a stack in the corner. Bringing it back over, he placed each robot inside; they'd be easier to transport that way. That done, he hefted the box off the worktop and began the walk toward the door.

"SNIVELY!" Robotnik called from along the corridor. Snively's eyes bulged as his scheming delight turned to fear. He looked right and then left and hurriedly slid the box under the worksurface. He didn't want Robotnik to know what he was up to, not yet. He wanted to keep this project for himself. It was hardly as if he was often trusted by his uncle, so he treasured such projects in secret.

"Y-yes, sir?" he called, trying to sound calm. He picked up an old stack of scrap paper and walked toward the bin with it, anything to look busy. Julian entered.

"Tell me, Snively: what recent reports have there been... of the hedgehog?"

Snively's heart missed a beat; Robotnik was a sly type, and that was part of what made him so dangerous. One could never quite tell whether he already knew something and was testing your honesty, or whether he genuinely didn't know. Snively gulped his heart back down before he answered:

"N-nothing, sir," he said, and felt pleased with himself for not sounding too afraid.

Robotnik remained quiet for a moment, though his brow lowered. Snively willed his breathing to stay steady even as his stomach chased its tail in his chest cavity.

"Very unusual, Snively," he commented, the inflection almost indecipherable, and he crossed his arms. Snively felt lilke whimpering, but instead shook his head.

"I've heard nothing, sir," he reaffirmed, and dropped the stack of papers into the bin with a heavy _whump._ Intensely aware of his uncle's scrutiny, he walked away from the table - and the box of robots - and tapped a button to display different televisual angles of the city. All the time, he felt thsy lazily malevolent presence of Robotnik behind him. _Please don't know; please don't know; the project's mine!_ shrilled his thoughts.

The silence lasted a while longer, and then Robotnik appeared to look content and exhaled smoothly. "Very well. I expect a finished copy of your plans to upgrade the hand co-ordination for the SWATbots in an hour." And with that, he turned and walked out of the room.

Snively counted to ten, only then daring to sigh in relief. Just for a couple of seconds, he submitted to the urge to hug himself in fear.

SONIC SATAM

Starla had returned to her hut. Bunnie and Phyre had gone; she wasn't sure where either of them were. _Maybe they're together somewhere,_ she thought fretfully. She was at a loose end for what to do. She felt jumpy, restless. Her thoughts just wouldn't stop; _I caught Bunnie with Phyre,_ her thoughts chattered, _She likes him. They'll be an item if I don't do something. What can I do? What can I do that she can't? Don't leave me, Phyre, please!_

The worry continued to gnaw at her and she looked around the room. The bookshelf was there, where it had always been. Just to keep busy, she sat in front of it and organised the books by colour, in the nearest they could get to a rainbow order, with the black and white ones at the end. She wasn't sure why she did it, it just seemed to calm her down a little.

That said, the end result wasn't much of a rainbow and she reordered them by size. Half way though this, the door opened and she whipped around to see who it was. It was Phyre, and he looked in a bad mood. He ignored her as he came in and shut the door behind him.

She saw the bandage on his hand. "What happened?" she asked tentatively, standing up and cycling her tail slightly for balance. His expression changed as if her question irked him more so she decided to drop it. _You're finished with me, aren't you?_ she thought, wishing he could read her mind or that she his. He opened a cupboard door and hunted for something to eat; with a snack bar in hand, he sat on the edge of the bed and ate it. Silently she approached him, wanting to mention Bunnie but afraid of what might be revealed.

"Kinda nice, huh?" she laughed gauchely, looking around the room. He ignored her. After a pause, she tried again: "don't eat too much, I'll make us something nice later." Still he ignored her, munching his way through the bar. Unable to stand the silence, she got up and opened the cupboard, so that it squeaked: _anything_ to mask the silence and the sound of his chewing. She pulled a bag of rice off the shelf, squeezing the cellophane wrapper to make it squeal and crackle. "How about I make soya bean and rice, like I made for us that time. How about that, Phyre?"

"Mmph," he answered without looking at her. She stared desperately at him for a moment and then looked back into the cupboard again. When he got like this she knew he wouldn't talk. She put the bag of rice on the counter and shut the cupboard door. It squeaked again. There was just one other thing she knew that cheered Phyre up, so she decided to try that. She shuffled onto the bed and stroked his arm.

"Phyre," she said quietly. "I love you."

He had finished the bar and cast the wrapper to one side. He eyed her loftily as if to be more certain of what she wanted before committing to it. She dug deep and pulled her face into an inviting smile.

"I want to go to bed, Phyre," she whispered. That got his attention. Phyre turned and stroked her back. _Oh, thank you,_ she thought and nuzzled his ear. He still wanted her! _Thank you, thank you, thank you!_

SONIC SATAM

It was a fine morning with a very slight shroud of mist. The sky was already solid blue and it looked as if it would be a beautiful, hot day. In some ways, it fitted Starla's mood entirely.

Her mind was a mish-mash of conflicting emotions. She was glad that Phyre had taken her back last night, and was grateful that she'd been able to sleep - sometimes his on-off attitude to their coupledom kept her awake all night. But she knew him well enough to know that he didn't keep his eyes on her for very long. He liked women, and he seemed to like Bunnie especially just at the moment. She was special to him; like Naomi. There were some girls he just liked because they were girls, and some who really pressed his buttons. Those two were among them.

Starla knew this but didn't dare look at it with too much clarity. No: he'd been with her last night, that had been his choice. He had chosen her over looking for Bunnie, that meant he loved her. It had to! It couldn't be any other way.

And yet, that assertion felt ghostly in her head. Like the veil of mist around her, it obscured something else. And if she looked at it too keenly, she might just see through it. No, it was safer not to look.

So why couldn't she stop obsessing about it?

 _Argh, put it out of your mind, girl,_ she snapped at herself and walked further along the bank.

She came to a tree trunk and decided to sit. If walking wouldn't help, maybe watching the babbling of the river might still her mind. She stretched a mild cramp out of one wing, watching the watergrass sway in the current.

SONIC SATAM

Tails jogged through the village, eager to reach the patch of tall grasses over the east side. Yesterday he'd lost a ball in there, just as it was getting dark. While searching for it, Aunt Sally had told him to come indoors and get ready for his evening meal. By the time he'd finished eating, darkness really _had_ set in and he'd have had no chance of finding the ball, even if Aunt Sally agreed to let him out - which she hadn't.

So he wanted to find it this morning.

A bright flash of pink caught his eye and he looked instinctively over to the left. There, sitting on the fallen trunk, was Starla. She caught sight of him and watched him; he slowed down and eyed her cautiously.

Aunt Bunnie had told him about her. She was an alien, she'd said. That sounded cool and he kind of wanted to get to know her. But what stopped him was Bunnie's other warning: that Starla wasn't a very nice person. She liked to laugh at people, to make them feel bad. She was too keen to insult people and Bunnie didn't want him mixing with her. So as she looked over, he looked away. The manners he'd been taught told him he should say hello; Bunnie's words rang in his ears, to ignore her for his own good. He didn't really know what to do.

He made eye contact with her again. Despite the alien look of her eyes, she seemed unhappy. Something - he couldn't tell what - made her look sad. No, not sad... Something. But he couldn't figure it out.

He looked at the ground and scuffed the grass with one foot. "Hi," he mumbled. He tentatively looked up at her again to see her regarding him sadly. She blinked; nothing happened. Then she blinked again. Then:

"Hello. What's your name?"

Tails paused uncertainly before he answered. "I'm Tails."

She nodded slightly. "Have you... lived here long?"

"I guess," he replied, unsure of how to respond to the strange girl.

Starla remained silent for a while, looking as if she were struggling to think of something to say, too. Finally she offered, "I haven't seen you here before."

Tails felt uncomfortable; her sadness was so obvious, he was starting to feel sad, too. She had strange stars on her fur, which grew to a certain size and then came loose, drifting down to the ground; he didn't know what that stuff was either. And she didn't have pupils, so he couldn't quite tell whether she was looking at him or not. He didn't want to talk to her any more.

"Uhhh... I gotta go," he said and stumbled uncertainly away, keen to be out of sight of Starla but curious to know why she was sad. Just as he was about to pass in front of a hut he looked back at her. They held eachothers' gazes for a moment, and then he walked on, leaving the alien by herself.

SONIC SATAM

Rotor walked toward Sally's hut. As he made his way he saw Tails, coming in the opposite direction.

Tails was a good kid and, although he'd got into trouble sometimes, it was never anything serious. He wondered whether Tails was looking so sheepish because he'd done something he shouldn't, but then discarded the idea. There wasn't any point in picking up on Tails' misbehaviour too often. In any case, that was mostly Sally's department.

Speaking of which, he was at her door. He knocked and waited. As the door opened, he smiled and entered.

"So, Rotor," Sally greeted, apparently keen to get straight to the point, "what can I do for you?"

Rotor smiled and got out a notebook. "Well," he began, "I need a few things from Robotropolis and I wondered if you and Sonic could get 'em?"

Sally looked interested and put out her hand for the notes. He handed them to her and she read the list for a few seconds. Finally she looked back at him. "Yeah, it should be easy enough to get this stuff. D'you need them all soon?"

"I'll need them by this evening. I've got a little more to do with the mike, but I should be busy on that for a while longer."

"Sure," Sally replied. "I'll go and find Sonic right away."

SONIC SATAM

Before long, Starla decided that sitting by the water's edge wasn't doing her any more good. All she'd worked out was that she felt... directionless. Life had always been so easy back in her world until a year or so ago. Her parents were powerful, she was pretty, and she had a great social life at school.

Then she and her classmates started to grow up and things began to change. She blossomed into a beautiful young woman (so she believed) and her female friends did so similarly. That was great. What wasn't so great was that they'd all noticed some of their male classmates as _they'd_ grown into maturity, among them Phyre. What were once perfect and lively friendships among the girls had begun to sour as they each decided they wanted a man. So since then, the friendships had been increasingly tinged with competition, cattiness, verbal slights, and a building sense of resentment.

And then she'd been pulled through, for no reason she could determine, into this world. She'd met Sonic, Sally and the others, and then come back. When Starla had returned home she'd realised that she couldn't tell anyone about this world: moving between universes simply didn't happen. So instead she'd told them she'd been on holiday. This, of course, didn't match up, because her parents hadn't said anything like that. Pretty soon word got 'round that she'd run away, and she'd been powerless to make them think otherwise.

But as the months went on, everybody put the running away thing to the backs of their minds. One day she approached Phyre, asking him if he wanted to be her date, and he'd turned her down. That had left her feeling angry and insulted. Then, in another apparently random event, she came through to Knothole again. She'd had a strange time with Sonic and the gang, one which she still couldn't work out. They seemed friendly, and yet hostile. She still didn't know what to make of that.

And then she had returned again, this time feeling utterly confused about what people thought of her, and aware that her friends would think she'd run away again. Nevertheless, she'd returned to her home and school and tried to convince everybody that she was happy and as proud as she always had been. Phyre left his previous lover, Angel, and had embarked on a relationship with her. Her crumbling self-esteem had received a boost at this: she adored Phyre! She lost her virginity to him; an experience she expected to be ecstatic, fabulous, perfect... But it hadn't been. Still she didn't know why, and she put the fearful idea that she simply didn't like sex to the back of her mind. She could always pretend. Was that how it was? Did all girls pretend? She decided not to ask her friends, for if she was the only one who felt that way, she would then be exposed as the frigid girl she now feared herself to be.

And now Phyre seemed to be losing interest in her. She _couldn't_ let that happen: she loved him. He was everything she wanted, and being by his side made her feel like the pinnacle of perfection: the girl who was Phyre's partner enjoyed a sense of status. She knew that. But it was all crumbling to dust in front of-

Bunnie walked in her direction, carrying a heavy bag out of which poked the tip of a loaf of bread, a bottle, and green leaves. Starla froze; did she want to see the rabbit right now? As far as she was concerned, Bunnie was her latest rival. But unusually for girls interested in Phyre, Bunnie hadn't spent much time around him. Was she playing it cool? Something didn't add up. Something in Starla's mind suggested she try to find out what Bunnie was up to, but she didn't know where to start.

Bunnie saw her, and her previously cheery expression darkened. Barely flinching, the rabbit continued in Starla's direction, mostly ignoring her but throwing her the occasional sour glare. As she watched, Bunnie seemed to make a decision and took the slight detour to approach her directly. Starla was surprised by this and walked on to meet her. Her heart clenched. Was Bunnie going to start a fight?

"Hi." Bunnie said shortly, not looking at all friendly.

Starla cleared her throat before answering. "Hi."

"Settled in okay?" the sentence, like the greeting, was clipped and abrupt. Starla wasn't sure whether she felt relieved that they were exchanging pleasantries like this, or afraid of where it would lead.

Would it help to bring Phyre into the conversation? "We have. Phyre likes it here."

"Yeah." Bunnie huffed. "Phyre."

Starla felt her hackles raise; she gulped to open her throat again and asked, "What about him?"

"Just one thing, Starla: keep your slimy jackass of a boyfriend away from me. Got it?"

 _Keep Phyre_ away _from you?!_ Starla was shocked. Bunnie didn't want his attention? She had to know more: "You... you mean you're not interested in him?"

Bunnie snorted and rolled her head as if to say, _well, obviously!_ "No, ah definitely am _not_! Geez, what is it with you guys? D'you really think that much o' yerselves?"

Starla registered the slight, but she was still reeling at the news. If Bunnie hadn't seduced Phyre then that meant he was the one who'd strayed. He was the one who had made an ernest attempt to get Bunnie into bed when the rabbit wasn't interested. And if that was true... _No, it can't be! Bunnie must have tried it on with him!_ But Bunnie's expression said very much to the contrary. She had to think about this... she needed space.

"Bunnie," she said, trying to look calm, "I- I have to... I have to think about this, okay? Just... I'll tell him to stay away from you." She inched backwards, desperately keen to get away from Bunnie, but somehow feeling that she owed the rabbit a debt of gratitude. As Bunnie looked bemused, then indifferent, she considered herself excused and spread her wings wide. Kicking off into the air, she circled once and then flew over the thatched roofs to find somewhere quiet to think again...

SONIC SATAM

Starla had headed off into the woods and then landed. Now she walked along numbly. In the cool shade of the boughs above, she thought about her conversation with Bunnie.

So Phyre thought far less of her than she did him. That didn't matter- _No,_ Starla thought suddenly, stopping herself. _No! It does matter._ She leant against a tree and rubbed her hands over her face as she thought this through. _I'm happy when I'm with him, but at the same time I'm not. What does that mean?_ She looked at the scene in front of her; spider webs glistened with dew from the night before, sparkling in the diagonal shafts of light that filtered down from the canopy. All around her was emerald green, striped with rich, brown tree trunks. It was a peaceful scene and she tried to make that soothe her. _Think again,_ she thought. _I thought he'd make me happy, and he did. But at the same time, somehow I'm not. What's missing? What's wrong?_

She'd been happy as a child. When she'd had friends. They'd been the ones who'd fulfilled her. They'd played together and they never had to think about who would leave who, which of them looked prettiest, how they should behave. Sure, those things had been part of life, but they hadn't become bedded into everything, they hadn't made it all _sour_. Her life with Phyre had made that so.

 _No!_ her mind screamed. _Phyre makes me happy!_

But having friends had made her happier.

She folded her arms and looked at the deep green in the long grass, that faded into yellow further up their damp stems. If she finished with Phyre, she could have friends again, because she wouldn't be competing with them. But who would be friends with her here? Who would back home? Well, back home, she knew she could expect the other girls to be just as competitive as they'd all become lately. And here? Sonic and his gang seemed the most likely, and they seemed to like eachother, but they didn't like her. Starla decided on the spot that she had to change that. _But how?_

Starla looked back in the direction she had come; past a varied array of tree trunks and spindly branches sprouting leaves, she saw slivers of village. Which of them was best to speak to? In a flash the answer came to her: _Bunnie_.

 _Bunnie?!_ she thought incredulously. Surely there had to be somebody better! _Sonic... No. Sonic doesn't like me. I like him, but..._ he seemed like a good idea, but something stopped her. Unable to define what it was, she thought about the others. _Sally?_ No. Just... no. _Rotor?_ It would be great if they were on speaking terms, but he'd shown himself up as so grouchy... But yet, he got on with other people so great. Maybe that was something to look into, too.

She thought about her original choice again: Bunnie. Bunnie knew about her and Phyre, and why she might want to split with him. She was strong-willed, so she wouldn't be afraid to say what she thought to Starla. That thought made Starla wince, but it seemed better than trying to talk to Rotor, who just tried to avoid her all the time.

Bunnie it was, then.

SONIC SATAM

Robotnik flicked through the pile of reports Snively had just handed him. There weren't very many here. He looked at the midget, who was just about to walk through the doorway and out of sight. "Just a minute, Snively." His nephew froze in mid-step and turned to face him once more.

"Yes, sir?"

Robotnik narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the little man. Snively had answered as if nothing at all was amiss. He looked composed and prepared simply to hear what Robotnik wanted to say, as if he had been dutifully at work all morning. And yet... he had not. Usually Snively would have completed far more reports than this. His nephew was hiding something from him, and that annoyed him.

"Only 3 reports, Snively?" he asked briskly, and slapped them down onto the desk beside him. Snively's expression receeded, as it tended to when he became afraid. He choked out a reply:

"Y-yes, s-sir..."

Robotnik eyed him. "Why are there so few?" Snively gulped and began to sweat. Julian was sure now that Snively was up to something and he took one menacing step forward, just one. "What have you been doing, you pitiful little beast?"

But Snively seemed to have lost his tongue. He gasped as Robotnik raised his voice and backed slowly away, staring at him through widened, fearful eyes. Robotnik sped up his approach and grasped the midget by the front of his shirt collar.

"TELL ME, YOU LITTLE FOOL!" he bellowed. Snively's throat squeaked as he struggled to draw breath, and then he said:

"It's Princess Sally and..." he paused, terrified, then continued. "S-sonic Hedgehog, sir." Robotnik's temper flared at the mention of his nemesis, but although his nostrils flared and his frown deepened, he remained silent; Snively had information that he wanted. _NOW._ "They intend to plant a microphone by the control centre room..." Snively paused here and Robotnik pulled the fabric of his collar in tighter, a threat to asphyxiate him. Snively squealed and spluttered, " _I have a plan to catch them, sir!_ "

 _A plan?_ Robotnik thought irritably. He released a little of the pressure on Snively's neck. "Go on..?"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: "Sonic the Hedgehog" and most other characters and situations in the following story are copyrighted trademarks of Sega Incorporated, Archie Comics and/or DIC Productions. Permission to reproduce this specific material may be granted by the author so long as you email first. (c)2008 velvetdcoolette .

CHAPTER 4

Bunnie hefted the bag of groceries onto the kitchen counter and took the contents out one by one. _Bread, carrot juice, flour..._ she thought absentmindedly as she did so.

On the way home she'd just had the strangest encounter with Starla. The hybrid had looked stressed, tense, her weird eyes flicking around as if trying to look everywhere at once. Despite her dislike of the other female, Bunnie couldn't help but think of this as strange behaviour from Starla; never before had she seen her look so... _worried._

And then there was the other thing: Starla had mentioned Phyre, apparently keen to talk about him - in particular the compromising position in which she'd caught Bunnie and the male hybrid. Still annoyed by Phyre's unsavoury insistence, Bunnie was keen to tell Starla to tell her boyfriend to keep his hands to himself. And then Starla had gawped at her. Just what was going on in that crazy girl's mind Bunnie didn't know, but something was happening there.

"Nyaah," Bunnie said dismissively to a tin of peaches. "She wants to get herself in knots over that doofus, she's more than welcome!"

And with that, she opened the cupboard door and began to pack her groceries away.

There was a knock on the door. Without looking around Bunnie called, "Door's open," and placed a jar on the shelf. She turned around to see her visitor, expecting to see one of the gang... but Starla was there, looking just as afraid as she had this morning.

Bunnie folded her arms. "Hi. What can I do for ya?" she said, hoping Starla would hear just how unimpressed she was by the arrival. Starla held her breath for a moment and then looked away.

"Uhm... Bunnie," she began. _What a great start, Shug,_ thought Bunnie. "I wanted to talk to you about the whole Phyre thing." She looked at Bunnie, but all the rabbit did was raise her eyebrows. _Hurry up, Ah ain't got all day._ "You see, I think I should split up with him because he... you... Because he doesn't..."

"Because he doesn't what, Starla?"

"...Because he doesn't love me and... I realised that I don't have any friends here and t-that... Bunnie-" _Ahh, man, just get on with it, girl!_ "...I wonder if we could start again. I don't want us to fight any more."

Bunnie couldn't stop herself from frowning. _Now Ah've heard it all!_ Starla looked intensely at her. "So... what do you think? Friends?"

"Starla," Bunnie replied, "Don'cha think you owe Rotor an apology first?"

Starla looked blankly, apparently not understanding. "What did I do to upset him?"

Bunnie uncrossed her arms, suddenly angry. Her fists clenched in frustration but, rather than strike the alien, she ranted: " _Just think about it,_ ya stoopid girl! Remember when you first came here?" Starla paused, and then nodded tentatively. "Remember the next day?" Starla did nothing, looking even more confused. Bunnie shook her head in annoyance and then spelled it out for her: "Rotor hit puberty, remember? That poor kid's voice cracked and you laughed at him - and in front of me, too!" Starla's jaw tightened; it looked as if Bunnie's words had hit home. "So don't you think you should say sorry to him? Huh? 'Cos he really hated you for that, and Ah'm not kiddin'!" Well, that was enough. She stopped her tirade and let silence fall. Bunnie wanted to hear, once and for all, what Starla thought of that infamous episode.

Starla seemed to be thinking the situation through; her expression changed from stunned realisation, through hasty defensiveness, and finally ended in shame. Finally she looked away again and tried to find words with which to answer. "Bunnie, I had no idea that... I was only trying to make everybody laugh."

Bunnie almost laughed despite herself. _You're kiddin' me, raght?_ "Well it didn't quite work that way, did it now?"

Starla slumped a little. "No, it didn't," she mumbled quietly. The pair regarded eachother for a moment. Then Starla gathered herself and said, "Can we be friends, Bunnie?"

 _Oh, get lost, Starla!_ thought Bunnie, and turned away. "Go and say sorry to Rotor. Ah've got stuff to do."

Although she got on with stocking her cupboard, she listened carefully for Starla's movements. Eventually the hybrid walked quietly outside, closing the door gently behind her. Bunnie sighed and rubbed her forehead with her living hand. _What a morning!_

SONIC SATAM

Rotor reached across for a length of copper wire. He unravelled some and cut off a little more than needed, then picked up the incomplete workings of the microphone. Frowning with concentration, he looked for the part he'd need to wind it around. He was deep into his work and didn't notice the approaching footsteps.

"Uhm... Rotor?" Starla said quietly.

Rotor flinched and then immediately felt his heart sink. _What?_ he thought irritably. He yanked himself from the tiny world of the machinery to Starla's offensive brightness. She looked sheepish, standing in front of him like a shy school child. "Yeah?" he asked.

She paused before answering: "Look, I wanted to... I just wanted to say sorry, that... that..." she gritted her teeth, then looked away as if to brace herself for the rest of the apology.

Rotor was surprised; it hadn't occurred to him that Starla would _ever_ say the word 'sorry'; he wondered what she'd done that she thought merited it. She definitely didn't have a good track record in that department. He looked back, waiting for Starla to find her tongue again.

"... It's just that... Bu-Bunnie told me that you were upset that I made fun of your voice, so-"

Rotor ducked his head. _Oh no,_ he thought. _She's not bringing that up again. Please Starla, let it die!_ He avoided the alien's uneasy gaze while she fumbled on.

"So... I realised that I wasn't nice when I did that and... I just wanted to say sorry," she concluded, then fell silent. She waited plaintively as if keen to know what he thought.

Truth was, Rotor felt embarrassed around Starla. Period. He felt a little better if they were with Sonic and the others, but he never liked Starla's company. She was just too... overbearing. Okay, an apology was an apology... but he still felt too uncomfortable with her. He got down from the stool and walked away from her to pick up a box of screws. He didn't need them, but had to break the contact somehow.

So she was really sorry? A part of him appreciated that, and she sounded genuine... but he was still too shy to look her in the eye and accept it. Quickly he thought it through... what would happen from here? Should he pretend to like her now? Pretend they were friends? He just couldn't do it. But the apology... Rotor guessed he should express some kind of gratitude for that. "Uh... thanks," he mumbled, still examining the box of unneeded screws.

"So... are we okay now?" she prompted.

"Uhm..." Rotor sighed at the question. _No, we're not,_ he thought. _I just don't like you._ "Yeah," he shrugged. There was a silence.

"O-okay... thanks," she replied dully. "I'll, uh... go now." And he heard her beat a hollow trail down the steps.

Satisfied that she was gone, he returned to the worktop and picked up the half-made microphone again.

SONIC SATAM

Starla walked away from Rotor's house with her nerves still jangling. _I'd never have done that a while ago,_ she thought, shocked by what she'd just done. _Am I changing?_

Rotor had accepted her apology... No, she realised, he'd _said_ he accepted the apology, but it hadn't been enough. He'd walked away and refused to look at her. But he'd said they were okay now. What did that mean? She looked around at the house again briefly, trying to work out what to do next. Maybe he was embarrassed?

Starla shook herself. _Of course he was,_ she thought, _he's embarrassed because I brought it up. He'll be fine the next time we meet. He'll be happier then._

 _I hope._

Well, there wasn't any more she could do about it. Now she needed to speak to Phyre. _Great,_ she thought sourly. _My first break-up._ She spread her wings and beat her way upwards to search for him. Circling to gain height, Starla passed over the clearing she'd mocked Rotor in all that time ago. The the memory made her wince.

Phyre was down there. _O...kay,_ she thought, her skin crawling with the anticipation, _here goes nothing._

SONIC SATAM

Sonic walked a few steps further, then looked around for Sally. A couple of seconds later she emerged from the hut. Shutting the door, she slung the rucksack onto her back. "So - are you ready?" she asked.

"Ready as ever, Sal!" he replied brightly. "Let's juice!" He took her in his arms and launched into an almost-immediate sprint.

The trees blurred past and the occasional leaf got caught in his slipstream as he dashed in the direction of Robotropolis. He felt the usual edge of sadness at leaving Knothole behind; guerilla warfare was dangerous and there was always the possibility that when you left the village, it would be for the last time.

But Sonic had Sally. They looked out for eachother, they protected one another. That gave him strength. And more to worry about, he realised. He looked at her; she sensed his gaze and returned it. _I never want anything to happen to you Sal,_ he thought.

Looking ahead again, he increased his speed. This trip was to pick up parts for the mike; the sooner they departed, the sooner they'd return.

SONIC SATAM

Rotor lifted the mike to study the barrell in better light when he heard a yell from over near the clearing. It was Starla, her voice faint at this distance.

 _"Don't you walk away from me, Phyre, I told you - it's over! Stop smirking!"_

The aliens were fighting? Rotor stopped working for just a moment and strained his ears in their direction. Phyre replied with something, but his voice didn't carry as well. Or maybe he was talking more quietly. Whatever the case, Starla cut back in:

"I don't care what you think! I don't wanna be with you any more! Hey! Get off me! _Get off me!"_

Something about Starla's tone made Rotor start: she sounded like she was struggling. Worried about what was going on, he hopped off the seat and headed in the direction of the shouting.

He reached the thick barrier of vegetation in no time and was just pushing apart a couple of branches when he heard footsteps coming in his direction. Starla - sounding much closer now - shouted, "Forget it, Phyre! GET STUFFED! We're _through!_ " Two pink hands grabbed the branches in front of him and pulled them apart from her side; they found themselves face to face.

She caught his eye for a moment and he saw her expression change from one of thunder to one of upset. He took a breath to ask if she was alright. Starla looked just about to squeeze past when Phyre, who Rotor could see on the opposite end of the clearing, turned and called,

"Oh, and Starla?" She looked around. "If you want to keep a guy you want to learn how to put out right!" Grinning, he disappeared through the undergrowth.

Rotor was shocked: he'd never heard talk like this before. He blushed, but just as he looked away, Starla's face turned, if anything, redder than his. He looked carefully back at her; she looked positively mortified. Hideously uncomfortable with this situation, he tried to fill the silence between them, but she did at the same time:

"Uh, I guess he-"

"I'm sorry, I, uhm-"

After a brief pause, she tried again, although she didn't seem to know what to say:

"I'm sorry, he's being a jerk and I..." at which point Starla fell silent, pseudo-scratching her cheek to shield her flaming face from Rotor.

Rotor suddenly realised that their situations had now been reversed; he'd never have thought this would happen, but Starla seemed too embarrassed to meet his eyes. So she had a sense of shame after all? Aware that they were at an impasse, he spoke over her.

"Hey, look, it's okay - h-he's just in a bad mood, right?"

She nodded shyly, then looked at the branches again.

Rotor wasn't quite sure how to go on from here. He too looked around to avoid eye contact. _I should get back to the mike,_ he thought, so he shrugged uncomfortably and said apologetically, "Uhm, okay. I gotta go back home." And with that, he ducked out of the leaf cover. The walrus was surprised, therefore, when Starla caught up and walked by his side. He looked over at her; she was still embarrassed, but at least her face had turned back to its normal pink. He was unsure why she's decided to walk with him, until she took a breath and asked,

"Why does Bunnie hate me?"

Rotor stopped and looked at her in surprise. Unsure whether to be irritated by her ignorance, curious about her motive to this question or hopeful that she wanted to put things right with everybody and not just him, he answered honestly:

"Well... It's because you talked about her arm and legs, Starla."

She looked back dubiously. "But she hit me."

Rotor continued: "Remember the first time you came here? Bunnie offered to shake your hand and you asked about her limbs?" The hybrid frowned lightly as if thinking back to this, and nodded for him to continue. "Well, she'd been part-roboticized for, like, a year, and she'd never said anything about it. When it first happened, she was really shocked. She barely talked to anyone for days." Starla looked like she was beginning to understand the point he was trying to make. "A-and when she started talking again, it was like she was trying to ignore that it had happened.

"So when you brought it up, I think she was scared. I guess she didn't like you judging her. And when we went on that mission and you called her a cripple... That was the last straw."

Starla goggled back at him, then put a hand to her mouth and looked away. After a pause she said, "So it was my fault all along?"

"Uh, well..." Rotor stumbled, trying to find a way to agree without making her feel too bad; if she wanted to apologise to Bunnie he didn't want to scare her off, "I think-uh..."

"How can I say sorry?" Starla cut across his unfinished sentence. "So that she'll forgive me?" She stared ernestly at the walrus for an answer.

Rotor thought for a second; he had no idea. He'd never really argued with Bunnie, and he'd definitely not seen her as angry with anybody other than Robotnik before Starla had come along. "I-I don't know," he said weakly, hoping he wasn't ruining this by not giving her a good answer. But he _didn't_ know, that was the truth. Then he had it! "But Sally might!"

"Sally?" she asked blankly. Rotor held her gaze; he knew that Starla didn't like Sally. Would that stop her?

"Yeah."

Starla took a breath and nodded. "Okay. I'll go and talk to her."

Now it was Rotor's turn to be lost for speech. _Starla's really ended up like this?_ he thought. Where had it come from? What had changed her?

The hybrid spread her wings and turned to face the breeze. She flapped into the air and threw down a "Thanks, Rotor," before swooping closer to the ground and then up again in the direction of the main area of Knothole.

"Bye," Rotor said to her already distant form, and then returned in bemusement to his workshop.

SONIC SATAM

Starla braced her wings hard against the moderate, yet turbulent, wind. Her head span from the exchanges she'd just had with Bunnie, Rotor and Phyre and she was finding it hard to focus. Wary of the tricky air currents and her lack of concentration, she made a direct line for the edge of the forest. She landed heavily next to the tree trunk she'd sat on earlier. Before carrying on, she decided to sit down for a moment to clear her head and to work out just what to say to Sally. She held her chin in her hands as she tried to think.

She felt an odd mixture of hollowness and raw pain at the breakup with Phyre, but a small part of her - she was surprised to realise - was relieved that to have done it. She'd made peace with Rotor and, although at first he'd still seemed embarrassed, they'd successfully had a conversation. Thinking back and remembering the walrus' more confident body language, she decided that they had finally, truly moved on. She was glad about that.

And now she was going to meet Sally.

The first thing that came to mind was that she despised the ground squirrel. Walking up to her and being friendly with her would be hard. Maybe too hard? She wasn't sure she could-

A flash of orange fur caught her attention and she looked to the left; it was that kid Tails again. He had a glass of some kind of drink and stopped for a moment to sip from it. Then he looked around and saw her. Suddenly he looked bashful again, like he had this morning. Starla offered him a tentative smile, and only then realised how miserable she must have looked before: she must have looked on the verge of tears!

"Hi again," she said. He kept quiet for just a moment.

"What's up?" he asked, still shy but clearly aware she wasn't happy.

Starla thought for a moment. Once upon a time she might have taken the opportunity to tell him all of her problems. A new sympathetic companion was always only too quick to agree that her antagonists were wrong, that she'd tried very hard to make it all right, and to reassure her. Usually just one concerned look, like the one she was getting from Tails right now, would set Starla talking.

But then she looked at him again. He was young, much younger than she was. Actually, she could see he was just a child. If she _did_ explain what was up, how could he understand female rivalry or even broken love? Sure she was upset but, she realised, there was just nothing she could say that would make him understand the situation.

What she did want, however, was friendly company. She edged along a little as invitation for Tails to sit down; he looked around dubiously, then shuffled over and sat next to her.

"I guess I'm a little blue, that's all," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm, uhm... okay," he mumbled, and then looked up as if to ask whether his shyness was acceptable. _Of course it is,_ Starla thought with a cringe, _if he knows how I treated Rotor and Bunnie before._ Had she really sent so many bad messages out that even this child thought she was a bitch? She sighed. "You look sad," he persisted hesitantly.

"Well, I guess I am," Starla replied, trying to work out how to continue. "I said a few things I shouldn't have and I'm trying to put it right. But I think I upset Bunnie too much." Tails was wide eyed, still listening. She decided to probe for his opinion of speaking to the princess: "I'm trying to work out what to say to Sally - she might speak to Bunnie and hopefully, it'll be alright."

"I guess it will," Tails said, "Aunt Sally's past cool - she'll know what to do!"

 _Past cool,_ Starla mused sadly. _I used to think I was that._ The bitterness crept back in and she looked away for a moment. _Why Does everybody love her so much?_

She heard Tails shuffle. "Why are you so sad?" he asked; Starla thought his childlike concern was touching.

"I..." _don't like Sally? Think she probably hates me?_ "...I could use a hug," she concluded bashfully, uncertain if that would seem too forward. She squirmed, trying to work that out. "...if that's alright?"

Tails regarded her for a moment as if to weigh up the wisdom of doing so, and then leaned over and hugged Starla. His embrace was warm and kind, gentle like the child he was, and she rested her head on his temple in return. She felt warm, she felt cared for. And she liked that.

A few seconds later he let her go, and Starla wondered what to do next. She cleared her throat. "Well in that case, Tails, I'll go talk to her." She stood up and began to walk in the direction of Sally's hut. She looked around at Tails one last time. "Wish me luck!"

Tails smiled shyly and waved.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: "Sonic the Hedgehog" and most other characters and situations in the following story are copyrighted trademarks of Sega Incorporated, Archie Comics and/or DIC Productions. Permission to reproduce this specific material may be granted by the author so long as you email first. (c)2008 velvetdcoolette .

CHAPTER 5

Two hours had passed since Sonic and Sally had gone into Robotropolis and all was well. Sonic was carrying Sally back; her rucksack now carried a collection of chips, odd nuts and bolts, and other things Sally had painstakingly searched for, firstly in the dump, and then in one of the several factories. But that wasn't exactly important to Sonic: what _was_ important to him was that he'd brought her back safe once again.

They arrived in Knothole and he set her down. As she brushed her fur smooth with satisfaction at another mission complete, he realised how much he was starting to like her. Sure, they'd always been friends, but there was something else, too. Something like...

 _Ah, no way, man!_ he thought to himself indignantly. _Girls are weird!_ And when that didn't convince him, he grinned at her, folded his arms and said, "So, you gonna go and show Rote what you got?"

Sally looked in the direction of Rotor's house for a moment before she answered. "Well, I guess. There's no time like now, so I'll... What are _you_ grinning at, Sonic Hedgehog?"

"You like Rotor!" he accused playfully. Sally looked outraged.

"No I _do not!_ We're just friends, you know that!"

"Oh, yeah. Like, _totally,_ Sal!" he replied, making sure he sounded as unconvinced as possible. Teasing Sally was fun! "Go and see your crush!"

"He is _not_ my crush, Sonic! What's the matter with- _Stop it!_ " Now Sonic was doubled over laughing at Sally's irritation. Then her change of tone made it clear she knew he was joking.

"Oh, that's it! Fine, I'm going there now!" she said finally and began to stomp in the house's direction. A few steps further on she turned and looked at him again; he was still gripping his belly with laughter. "Oh, go and get a clue, hedgehog! You're not as funny as you think you are!"

Sonic tried to recover himself to call another taunt, but it took a few seconds before he could pull any wind back into his lungs, by which time Sally had turned to walk again. "Tell me when the big day's planned!" And, turning away just slow enough to see her scornful impression, he walked away himself.

SONIC SATAM

Starla had been flying quite high during Sonic and Sally's arrival so as not to be seen; they'd broken apart slowly, apparently having some sort of shouting match, although Sonic had laughed loudly enough to carry through the thermals and Sally hadn't looked all that offended, if her body language was worth reading.

She felt her fists clench almost without her direction. _He's mine, bitch,_ she thought. _Get away from him! He's not interested in you!_

But even from here she could see that wasn't true. Despite their bickering, Sally seemed to be forgiving Sonic for whatever he was saying, even as he said it. And as he finally turned his back on her, he gave her a final glance that made them both pause. With a lurch, Starla began to wonder if they were starting to have feelings for eachother. _Oh, I don't care!_ she snapped back at her own thoughts. _He probably isn't._

When she was sure they'd separated properly, Starla began to angle down toward the ground squirrel. Coming down to land only when she was sure Sonic was out of sight, she dropped the final few feet onto the ground. Her landing caused an earthy _thump_ and that was enough to get Sally's attention. Starla looked straight into Sally's eyes and tried to steady her hatred.

The ground squirrel had heard her land and looked vaguely surprised to see her. On her back she carried a rucksack, heavy with whatever she kept in there; her thumbs were lodged underneath the straps as if to stop them digging into her shoulders. Starla took in a breath, told herself mentally she could do this, and approached the princess.

"Sally," she began, and then realised that she sounded a little harsh. The heavy ball of dislike in her belly just wouldn't go away; however, she tried again, deliberately making her voice softer and kinder: "Sally," she said again, "I wanna ask you something."

"Okay, sure. What is it, Starla?" Sally replied, looking attentively at her. Starla gritted her teeth. _I'll make this quick, then get the hell away from you!_

"I talked to Bunnie this morning and asked her to forgive me for upsetting her. She didn't accept it, but I really want her to understand I'm sorry. You know her better than me - how do I do that?"

Sally looked surprised at this, and then thoughtful, averting her eyes for a moment while she thought. "Hmm," she murmured, her brow furrowed. "What did she say when you apologised?"

"She just told me to say sorry to Rotor instead."

Sally paused again. "...and have you?"

Starla winced; Sally didn't even have the decency to pretend she didn't know why Rotor should be offended. Had she, Bunnie and Rotor talked so much about all this behind her back? How dare they! How _dare_ th-

 _No,_ she thought. _If I upset these guys then why wouldn't they badmouth me? I would._

But it still hurt.

Sally seemed to think some more, then said, "Then you're half way there, Starla. Look: find her again, tell her you've apologised to Rotor and she'll accept it. Then you'll have done everything you can. I think you might just find that by tomorrow she'll be fine." This last statement was said with a knowing smile from the princess, and Starla didn't know how to react. There was a silence between them, where neither seemed to know what to say. "Well, I gotta be going," Sally continued, hefting the rucksack again. She walked past Starla and waved to her. "G'bye!"

So Bunnie would forgive her after all? Was that how Bunnie worked? Starla watched Sally's receding figure. Although she hated her, she still felt grateful that Sally had been so open about that. _Thank you,_ she thought, and then realised she couldn't spit those same words out of her mouth. Not yet.

SONIC SATAM

Having collected most of the food she'd need from the local grocery stall and looking for a few final tidbits, Bunnie picked her way through the longer grass on the edge of the forest, a basket hanging from the crook of one arm, looking for mushrooms. She twisted another out of the ground, checked and decided it was good, then placed it in the basket with the others. She went back to scanning the ground. She was concentrating so much on finding a crop that she didn't register the footsteps.

"Hi Bunnie." It was Starla.

Bunnie straightened up and looked balefully at the pink female. "Hey yerself," she replied flatly. Starla looked nervous again just as she had earlier today, and reluctant to speak. But just before Bunnie could ask what she wanted, Starla bumbled out a stream of words:

"You know I asked you earlier whether you'd forgive me?" Starla asked. Then, without waiting for an answer, she continued: "You said you wanted me to say sorry to Rotor first, so I did, and he said it was fine, and then I thought you hadn't really accepted my apology so I wanted to come back and ask if you did." She stopped to get her breath back and waited a moment. Bunnie stayed silent too, keeping her expression unreadable but also trying to work out what she made of this. "So... do you?" Starla prompted.

"Ah dunno," Bunnie replied, still angry at the hybrid. "Depends on whether yer gonna say sorry, dunnit?" Bunnie reckoned that might scare Starla off, but right now she didn't care. Starla could take as much abuse as she felt fit to give.

Starla's posture sagged. "That's what I'm saying, Bunnie," she mumbled pleadingly. "I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?"

But Bunnie wasn't going to forgive her _that_ easily. "What about Sally?" she asked sharply. "Ah think you should say sorry to her for bein' such a-" she stopped, and then carried on more gently. "-you always make it obvious you don't lahke her. So you say sorry to her, _then_ you can say sorry to Sonic for..."

She didn't expect this reaction from Starla, but at the mention of Sally, the alien looked away and frowned. Not a frown of scorn as Bunnie might have expected, this one seemed to carry deeper than that. It was as if Starla was battling something in her mind. Subtly, Starla shook her head and looked at the floor.

"What's up with you?" Bunnie asked, beginning to wonder whether it was right to be so coarse with the alien. But Starla didn't answer, instead she looked the other way again. Her jaw was tight, and Bunnie found herself scrutinizing her. Then it all clicked into place: Starla's initial flirtatious reaction to Sonic, her subsequent dislike of Sally, her strange shifts of mood. "...you really lahke that ol' hedgehog, don't ya?" she asked quietly, and at that, Starla nodded. Tears began to form in her eyes. Bunnie took in a breath and exhaled very slowly. She hadn't expected _this._

She looked around. Over in the thick of the huts, two villagers looked in amused surprise at Starla. Another walked into sight and joined the first two. One said something to the newcomer and they snickered.

"Come on," Bunnie whispered to Starla, nudging one arm and encouraging her over to the fallen log - out of sight, behind a particularly broad hut. There, she encouraged the hybrid to sit down and then sat beside her silently, waiting for Starla to stop crying, one hand resting supportively on the hybrid's shoulder.

SONIC SATAM

Robotnik watched Snively via the videolink to the control center. Snively was doing what he always did at this time of day, switching between typing updates - today they would concern scouts sent to new parts of Mobius - and watching the bank of screens before him. Snively was always on sentry duty, even when he had other work to do. Robotnik would not let him take it easy, not while his mastery of this miserable planet was incomplete.

Snively was diligent; Julian could not fault his nephew for slacking. Although there had been the issue recently of him not producing many reports... But that had been because he had formulated a plan to catch the hedgehog. As much as it annoyed Robotnik to know his nephew had done something without his permission, he was quietly pleased to know that Snively considered it worth taking such an opportunity to catch that accursed rodent.

But he would not allow the midget to know that. Snively existed to obey, not to think.

SONIC SATAM

Starla gradually regained her composure, aware all the time of Bunnie beside her, her stability, and her simple earthy kindness. She'd never thought that Bunnie could be like this, so she was surprised. But more than that, she was relieved. Eventually she managed to sit up straight, wipe the worst of the tears from her eyes.

"What d'you do when you wanna feel better, Starla?" she asked. Starla blinked a few times as she thought about this. In the last few months, she would always have said that she'd look for Phyre. But, she'd finally realised, he didn't make her feel good. What had she done before that? Well sometimes, she'd restyle her hair or go shopping, but she couldn't do that here. Then she knew the answer and she smiled with the realisation.

"I... I fly," she said simply. Bunnie was ready for her answer it seemed, for she nodded in understanding and gently pushed Starla on the shoulder.

"Then fly!"

Starla looked up into the sky, then at Bunnie again. With no more words to say, she took a few steps away to avoid cuffing the rabbit with a wing, crouched down and launched skyward. One turn, a swoop and some hard wingbeats and she carried herself up, away from Bunnie, away from the ground, and over the huts. Her wings trembled with indecision for a moment as she turned in the air. _Which way do I want to go?_ She was slightly above the treeline; thousands of leaves fluttered ahead of her, flicking like tiny wings. She wondered how far the forest went.

Then she struck out over it, to find out.

SONIC SATAM

Snively tapped a set of instructions into the master computer, instructions so familiar he had no need to refer to notes any more. They were commands for the latest set of SWATbots. Since that worthless hedgehog kept destroying them, more had to be made and put to work on the streets of Robotropolis. Unfortunately there was no short way to set them up: SWATbot strength (dubious as that was, he thought. He huffed and rolled his eyes. He had so many ideas for how to improve them, but his uncle wouldn't have any of it. As far as Robotnik was concerned, he was here to obey, not to think) lay in their numbers. The technology required to make the chips that would allow quicker registration on the system would mean that far fewer could be made. Then, what would be the point at all?

He laboured on, entering the fifth bot into the system. The work was repetitive and held the temptation to make one slow as they worked. But that was something Snively could not afford to do - he still had reports to prepare after this.

It was all the fault of that hedgehog. If he didn't destroy the SWATbots, far fewer would need to be replaced. Never matter, that might not be a problem for much longer... if Snively's plan went as calculated.

He had been galled that Robotnik now knew of the plan; he'd hoped to capture the hedgehog independently. But then, he thought, what would happen after? He stopped work for a moment to look at the screens. _Yes_ , he thought. Robotnik would likely beat him within an inch of his life for working in secret. As tempting as capturing Sonic might be, it was better that Robotnik knew what was happening.

No exclusive prize for Snively, then. Face set rigid, he continued to type.

SONIC SATAM

Starla flew like an arrow over the leafy heads of the trees. The sunlight was still warm and made her back and the rear faces of her wings glow. The air, cooled by such speed, dried her tears and freshened her face. She blinked periodically to feel how much drier her eyes got each time. With each blink, she felt herself strengthen a little more.

Finally satisfied that her eyes were no longer red and watery, Starla rejoiced at her actions today: she was proud of herself! She spread her arms wide, feeling the extra wind resistance but not caring, stretching her chest gloriously as her wings carried her onward, always onward.

Unwatched above her, the sun crept further along its celestial path.

SONIC SATAM

Rotor held the communication unit in his hand and glanced over to the sunset. The sun was going down and he'd finished putting the mike together right on schedule. It sat on the worktop in front of him, an angular piece of gadgetry that wasn't pretty but was designed ideally for its purpose. It squatted on clips and cables at an uneven angle, braced as if ready for action. Rotor tapped Bunnie's number into the unit and waited for her reply. She was the last one he had to call: the others were already on their way. Now it was time for Sonic and Sally to come back into play again. He'd done his part; now all that he had to do was invite the others over to confirm their plans.

Before long the unit buzzed, pulling him out of his line of thought. "Hello?" came her husky yet lively voice.

"Hey Bunnie," he replied. "I've finished the mike so I'm callin' everyone over to talk. The others are on their way."

"Sure thing, Sugar. Ah'll be raght there." And with that she signed off.

SONIC SATAM

Bunnie arrived at Rotor's house as the sky began to wash over with night-time blue. The air was cooling down by the minute and made her fur rise, but then she heard voices through the wall and felt warmed. The others were already here. She smiled in response to the collective sound and knocked the door. Barely a second later the knob turned and the door opened. Sonic glanced quizzically through the narrow crack, leaning back with his hand backward-gripping the handle, and grinned as he saw her. "Bunnie's here," he announced to the room at large as the rabbit entered.

Cued by her arrival, Sally, Rotor and Sonic walked over to the workbench and picked a seat each. She joined them.

"So, I've finished the mike," Rotor began proudly. "It's all ready for Sonic and Sally to take." He looked at Sally. "It's up to you guys how you wanna do this."

Sally nodded and took the lead. "Okay. I think the way in and out is simple enough." She took NICOLE from one boot, tapped a couple of buttons and set her on the bench as a map of Robotropolis came up. "I say we go in the same way as before. Here." she pointed at the place where she and Sonic had entered the vent system during their last visit.

"Sure," Sonic scrutinized the map for a moment, then said, "There weren't any problems there before."

Rotor nodded in approval, but Bunnie wasn't quite happy. She always thought about the pair of them when they went so close to Robotnik's main centre, but something about this particular mission made her worry, though she couldn't put her finger on why. She wanted to know for sure they'd be safe. "Ah'd be happier if Ah knew how y'all were doin' in there," she said firmly, looking first at Sally and then at Sonic.

The pair looked at eachother for a moment, then Sally answered. "It'll be fine, Bunnie; that way's not so hard, you know that." She sounded reassuring, but her expression asked what her words didn't. Bunnie knew that it was out of character for her to express worry like this, and usually she didn't feel it. But this time...

"Ah know, Sally-girl. But Ah just think you're gonna be so close to ol' Buttnik that..." she tailed off, unsure of what else to say. Maybe there was no need to worry. But...

"Look," Sally said, "If Rotor can recalibrate a communication unit so that you can hear what's going on and we clip it to Sonic's backpack, will you feel better about it?"

Bunnie had to admit, that did make her feel better. She relaxed and smiled at her friend. "Yeah, Honey. That'll be just great." She and Sally looked to Rotor.

"Sure, I can do that," he said, already rummaging around for his own unit. "I'll do it now."

SONIC SATAM

Night had fallen. The only light left came from the moon and the occasional firefly that lit up and then winked out just as Starla focussed on it. For the first time since taking off in Knothole, she began to slow.

She rode the air currents instinctively, thinking about what to do next. She felt very tired and wanted to rest. It would be sensible to head back to the village, where she had a warm bed and could get food. The hut in itself was a tempting prospect... But its other current inhabitant wasn't. She was almost certain that Phyre would be there, and the last thing she wanted was to find herself face to face with him.

And then again... she had been flying for a long time, and it would be well past midnight by the time she got back. She cycled her wings and pulled into an almost-hover as she wondered what to do. As cold as it felt (and that she guessed it would get), she felt stubbornly resistant to going back to the hut. But where else was there to go, in this big forest?

Down below were the open branches of an old tree. The milky blue moonlight traced five or six gnarled branches radiating out from a central space. Was it hollow or was it just dark in there? She craned her neck and dipped closer to see.

One branch reached upwards, bulbous with old woody growths and broad with age. Judging carefully, she dropped onto it and grabbed at the outermost point to prevent herself from falling. Wings spread for balance, she inched carefully inward, toward the centre of the tree.

She'd been right: at the centre was a bowl-shaped space, layered with leaf mould and moss. Damp, but sheltered. She looked over the edge. A long way down, grass waved gently in the breeze and fireflies traced their mysterious movements, revealing only parts of their dances in sporadic splashes of light. Altogether, the sight was beautiful. She looked back into the centre of the tree-bowl. _I can stay here, can't I?_

Starla was a girl who liked her luxuries. She liked fat pillows and a warm bedroom and stuffed toys; colours and brightness. She liked clean hair, jewellery and reading fashion magazines. She liked, in short, to be pampered. But she could live without those things... couldn't she? So would it be so bad to spend a night here?

The idea was attractive. She'd never slept outdoors before - that was for squares. People who liked camping and stuff. And yet here, where she would be cold and alone, she'd just found a beautiful place to sleep. Well, it was definitely more inviting than the idea of sleeping with Phyre. She sat down and then lay on her side. She slid her hands under one cheek; she bent her knees in close and curled her tail around them; she draped one wing over her torso. As far as she was concerned, she was comfortable enough.

Ahead of her, she could just about see the lumpy back of another branch. The rotten leaves on which she rested smelled, but that didn't matter - it wasn't a bad smell, exactly. She looked upwards. The moon, a glaringly bright silver disc dappled with grey, shone brightly down. The stars were like a sheet of almost-transparent diamond gauze - they filled the sky with a busy network. And they twinkled like jewels.

She watched them for a while, until her body began to descend into a diffuse and hazy sleep. The silence, which she might once have wanted to spurn in favour of a pop album, was peaceful. She was alone, but she was there with herself. And she'd been good to herself today. With that thought, her mind closed its curtains on the world for the night.

SONIC SATAM

Snively stood the stack of reports on end and tapped them against the table to straighten them. That done, he nestled them into the pigeonhole. He had no more work to do, other than watch for the Freedom Fighters.

Barely turning his head, he called to the small, clunky servant bot that spent most of its time plugged into the main power supply. "Coffee." Without taking his eyes off the screens, he heard the bot's wheels squeak as it scurried off to fetch the drink.

He knew the Freedom Fighters were due to come any time, but that could be in two minutes or it could be in two weeks. He hoped it would be sooner rather than later. He felt a gratifying tendril of evil glee in the pit of his stomach as he thought of the moment he could flip the trap.

Oh, but that would be a delicious moment indeed!

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: "Sonic the Hedgehog" and most other characters and situations in the following story are copyrighted trademarks of Sega Incorporated, Archie Comics and/or DIC Productions. Permission to reproduce this specific material may be granted by the author so long as you email first. (c)2008 velvetdcoolette .

CHAPTER 6

Starla awoke seamlessly to the sound of birdsong and rustling leaves. Dozily confused about where this place was for a moment, she propped herself up on one arm before remembering. _Oh yeah,_ she thought, _Phyre._ Then, just as the pain began to sink back in, her mind rattled off the rest of yesterday in fast forward. _Bunnie. Rotor. Sally! I did it! They forgave me!_ The thought was enough to spur her to sit upright and she stretched triumphantly. _I did it!_

Above her, the roughly circular vista she had seen last night - the gossamer stars, the rich, dark night sky, the dappled white moon - had disappeared and made way for a bright halo of sky heralding a fabulous day! The breeze caught her hair and ear tips, and made Starla want to feel the wind on her face.

She sought out the branch she'd climbed down the night before and clambered back up it. Once at full height, she sat on one heel and surveyed everything around her. For miles around, all she could see was a lumpy blanket of treetops, caught from the east by the still-low light of the sun. Mist wafted like tiny clouds in patches. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

She stretched her wings to test the state of her muscles. They resisted, tight from the cool night just gone. So she bunched them, bent and unbent the joints, squeezed her shoulders. Soon they felt warmed and she was ready to fly. With one final look at the secret spot that had been her bed, she pounced heartily into the sky and was carried aloft on wings that had brought her all the way out here, and would take her all the way back.

And 'back' would be a long way; Knothole was somewhere ahead, though for now it was out of sight. Back, truly back, was back to her own universe, to her parents, to school. And this time she had a passenger to take with her. _Phyre..._ Yes... that would be difficult. But she could do it. First, however, she had to get her hands on a bottle of hydrogen gas, so Rotor was the first person to see today.

Starla's fur was thick with dew and she felt the prick of cold against her skin as she sliced through the crisp morning air. Once she would have shrugged uncomfortably at this cold. But now? Now she enjoyed it: it was a badge of the night she had just spent, surviving on her own wits. It cooled her when she didn't need cooling, but that was a challenge she could well meet. The cold didn't hurt; it invigorated her, made her skin glow and feel alive.

Life was wonderful!

SONIC SATAM

Bunnie moved tightly as she helped Sally prepare for the mission. She still wasn't pleased that the pair were going so close to the central control room again; it was too soon. But... But they'd be as careful as they could and had no real reason to believe that Robotnik knew they'd be there. Bunnie took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to stretch the tenseness out of her body. _It's still a dangerous thing to do._ her mind lectured again.

To interrupt the pattern of her thoughts, she picked up the communication unit that the princess would take with her. Sally was doubtless just about to reach for it herself, but nevertheless, Bunnie gave it to her. "Here ya go, Sally-girl," she said gently. Their eyes met as she passed it over.

Sally frowned with concern. "You're really worried this time, Bunnie," she observed.

Bunnie knew full well that she had no real reason to feel this way other than a simple, healthy fear of Robotnik. That human was capable of dreadful things if he thought he was being taken for a fool. But it was paranoid thought, simple as that, and she huffed. "Y'all know what Ah think of bein' near that monster," she said, trying to cast off the trepidation. "J'us look after yourselves. Okay?" She looked from Sally to Sonic for an affirmation. The pair looked back at her and then at eachother.

"Sure, Bunnie, it'll be okay," Sonic said. Then, as if to lighten the mood, he put an arm around Sally's shoulders. "I'll look after Sal, I promise!"

SONIC SATAM

Snively rubbed his eyes, tiredly looking at the screens again. He'd felt sure the Freedom Fighters would make their attempt on the vents last night and with Julian's agreement, had decided to stay awake and watch out for them. But it was clear now that they hadn't chosen the night after all; now he was exhausted and needed to sleep.

He tapped a button to his left, opening a small hatch that concealed a device. He tapped a few numbers into it, set up a connection, and then disconnected it from its clasp. This was a modified alarm clock of sorts; it had a wireless connection to the motion sensors of the cameras and would alert him of any unexpected - that was to say, non-robotic - events. With a final visual sweep of the screens he got down from his seat and left for bed.

SONIC SATAM

Sonic raced for the polluted city, so familiar with the way he could almost do it with his eyes closed. He felt buoyant, he felt confident. Today would be the last of this particular series of visits and he was sure everything would be fine. They had a plan, they had Rotor's microphone, and they had the modified communication unit Bunnie had insisted they bring.

 _Hmm, yeah, Bunnie._ He wasn't sure what had got into her over this mission, but for some reason she seemed afraid they'd fail. Was that something he should listen to, he wondered? Bunnie _was_ pretty sensible...

 _No way!_ he thought instantly. Many times in the past, it had been his quick thinking that had saved all their lives. That had gotten them through so far and it would this time too. Bunnie was brave, but she liked to be careful too. So maybe it wasn't so out of character for her to worry like this.

 _Hey,_ he decided with a grin, and stormed on. _It'll be just fine!_

SONIC SATAM

Starla flew as far as she could, and that meant right up to Rotor's door. Although her shoulders and wings ached, somehow Starla was reluctant to plant her feet on the ground even then. But as she did, she kept those wings unfurled like proud sails and felt each primary rattle as the winds played with them. With her heart aglow she finally fanned the feathers gently together. That was a flight, she suspected would stay in her memory forever.

She knocked and waited. She heard a muffled, "Just a minute," from the other side and listened carefully for further response. Heavy footfalls approached and the door opened. Rotor looked distracted, then smiled as he saw her. "Oh, hey Starla."

"Hi," she smiled. "I came to ask if you had any hydrogen ready?"

He glanced behind him at a set of shelves before answering. "I haven't done that yet, but I can get onto it today. Come on in."

Starla felt her fur smooth itself as she passed into the warmer interior of the hut. Vaguely aware that she felt comfortable with Rotor at last, she looked at the assortment of mechanical pieces on the worktop. "So d'you think you guys can send me back today?"

"Uh, I don't think so quite yet," Rotor replied and sat on a seat by the bench. "We've got a mission on today and Sally's on it. She'll need NICOLE so she'll only be able to send you back later."

Starla raised her eyebrows at this. "Okay. Uh... do you want me to wait at the hut?" She didn't want to spend the day in Phyre's company, but she wasn't sure where else to stay until Sally returned. She crossed her fingers, hoping Rotor would come up with a better solution.

"You can stay here if you want to," he shrugged.

At this, Starla sighed with relief. "Thank you, I'd appreciate that," she said. And she meant it.

Nothing else was said for a while, for Rotor seemed busy, concentrating on a unit that looked kind of like a speaker. Starla leaned her arms on the worktop as he worked. Eventually, curiosity prompted her to ask. "What's that for?"

"Well," he said carefully, scrutinizing something tiny and screwing it into place, "this is a communication unit. We use them a lot. I've recalibrated this one so that we'll be able to hear what Sonic and Sally do while... they're in Robotropolis..." His talking slowed as he concentrated on twisting in another tiny screw. "...and Bunnie and I are gonna listen in. You, me and Bunnie," he corrected himself, acknowledging that Starla would be here too.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. "Hey, Sugar-rus! It's me!" _Bunnie!_ Starla thought, and trotted to the door to let the rabbit in. Bunnie was revealed on the other side of the door.

"Oh, hi Honey," she greeted Starla.

"Have they gone?" Rotor asked her. Bunnie nodded.

"They're on their way."

"Cool. Starla's gonna sit in with us," Rotor added casually and Bunnie raised her eyebrows at the hybrid. Starla smiled tentatively and the rabbit returned the gesture.

"Well, you listen in, Shug," she said kindly. "Ah only asked Rotor to do this because Ah'm nosey!" and with that, Bunnie took her place at the table.

Starla frowned lightly. Did Bunnie sound tense? Shrugging away the thought, she closed the ring at the workbench.

SONIC SATAM

Sonic and Sally stood outside the ventilation shaft, as they had twice before. The city was as grim as ever, the smell of burning fuels and smog was as bitter and drab as Sally had come to expect. She opened her rucksack and pulled out her unit as Sonic wrestled with the grille. Making certain the device was switched on, she returned it to the proper compartment in the bag.

"Hhnrrgghh!" Sonic grunted and the grille slipped free. Sally climbed in without a word, inching forward enough for him to follow behind her. He pulled it roughly back into place and faced her. In the dull light, they grinned at eachother. "Alright, Sal," he murmured and put his knuckles up.

"Let's do it to it!" they said in unison. Turning, Sally led him to the now-familiar vent.

SONIC SATAM

 _Snively drifted on the edge of sleep, floating in a dark oblivious chasm. He was unaware of much, just the shapeless, soft warmth of..._

An abrasive buzzing noise stirred him back to wakefulness and he sat up irritably. He snatched at the alarm clock to switch it off, then realised what that buzz meant.

 _The Freedom Fighters!_

Snively swung his legs so that he sat on the edge of the bed, reached for and pulled on his clothes and scampered out into the hallway.

SONIC SATAM

Rotor staggered over with a heavy bag and set it down on the worktop with a heavy _crunch_. He pushed it into the centre, then walked over to a toolbox on the floor. Bunnie took a big handful of the contents and put them in a pile before her. Starla looked into the bag: screws. All different sizes, thicknesses, lengths... a variety. Copying Bunnie, she took a handful too.

Rotor reached between the two girls and dropped a selection of more screws on the table. Each had a spot of blue paint on. Starla looked from them to him, still not sure what she was expected to do.

"I get through a lot of screws," he explained, "and when I dismantle anything, I always get a pile of 'em, so they go in this bag. But they're all different sizes and it helps if I know what they all are. So we're gonna separate them while we listen for Sonic and Sally."

Bunnie had already begun, using the screws with blue spots to identify what size was what. Finally Starla understood what was expected of her. With a quick smile she nodded her understanding at Rotor and picked one of the blue-spotted screws from the sample pile. Quietly the three animals got to work.

"Alright, Sal," came Sonic's voice faintly from the unit and they all glanced over. Then there was a rustle and the pair said, "Let's do it to it!"

"Well..." Bunnie turned to Rotor and said, "Ah guess they're in." Starla thought Bunnie was being uncharacteristically quiet.

SONIC SATAM

Snively reached the control room to find every screen switched on as always. And sure enough, in the vent were two Freedom Fighters: Princess Acorn working away at the ceiling with a screwdriver, Sonic Hedgehog holding something in place. _Well,_ Snively thought gleefully, _We'll see about that!_

Calmly, he activated the ambush bots and watched the screen...

SONIC SATAM

Sally squinted in concentration, trying again to get the screw between the two holes on the microphone's holder. It was a tight fit, but if she could just get it into place... Struggling to hold them in place, she reached for a nut and fitted it against the screw. She was just turning it into place when-

"Sal!" Sonic exclaimed suddenly. "Watch it!" He pulled her out of the way, but she felt something grab onto her other arm. She whipped her head around to see what it was: four spindly metal tentacles emerged from what Sally had assumed to be a bolt on the vent wall. As she pulled away, more lashed out from the opposite side and she gasped.

" _Sonic!_ " she said suddenly, needing help. Still trying in vain to extract herself from the collective grip, she risked a look at the hedgehog. He was struggling just as much, with one around his neck, two around one leg and two on each of his arms.

"Sal! What's goin-" he stopped talking abruptly as even more tentacles came out of the hidden spaces in the ceiling and pinned Sonic and Sally's arms to their sides. With Sonic pinned like this there was no chance he could dash the tentacles off. It was no good. The pair of them were stuck fast.

SONIC SATAM

Rotor's hut had fallen into stunned silence.

Bunnie stared at the unit, willing it to offer more news. They'd all heard Sonic and Sally call to eachother and struggle, but it didn't sound like they'd escaped. Reluctant to take her eyes of the unit as if looking at it would make Sonic and Sally's escape more possible, Bunnie glanced at Rotor. Starla did the same.

Robotnik had Sonic and Sally.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: "Sonic the Hedgehog" and most other characters and situations in the following story are copyrighted trademarks of Sega Incorporated, Archie Comics and/or DIC Productions. Permission to reproduce this specific material may be granted by the author so long as you email first. (c)2008 velvetdcoolette .

CHAPTER 7

"Well, well, well," Robotnik's disembodied voice floated silkily from the communication unit. "It was so nice of you to drop in, princess." Starla recognised that voice. She'd faced its owner once before. At the time she'd been defiant, certain there was no real danger. But now she wasn't face to face with the human, that was Sonic. _And Sally,_ she reminded herself. Starla was ashamed to feel a little smug at the squirrel's predicament. That wasn't right! _She's in danger!_ she hissed at her own thoughts, disgusted she could even consider being happy at the idea of Sally's death. _They both are..._

Rotor looked just as horrified, and watched the unit like a hawk. Bunnie held one hand clenched at her chest, those heavy ears were straining to hear any clue as to Sonic and Sally's wellbeing. But what was there to do? They were powerless, all of them...

There was a knock on the door; Rotor went over to answer it. 'Though his body was broad enough to obscure the visitor, Starla knew who was there as soon as he spoke.

"Hey Rotor, man! How ya doin'?" It was Phyre.

"What do you want?" Rotor asked. His tone was fringed with... what? Annoyance? Impatience?

"I'm lookin' for Starla," Phyre's smooth reply came. "You seen her, playa?" Rotor stepped aside to let Phyre in. The hybrid strode arrogantly through the doorway and saw her.

Starla stayed resolutely at the table, determined not to look fazed by his arrival. In truth, she didn't know what to do now. She guessed that Phyre would tell her to come with him. Once upon a time, she would have done so. But now? Maybe if she just stayed still he'd take the hint and leave...

"Come on, baby," he crooned. "I ain't seen ya all night."

 _There's a reason you haven't seen me, Phyre,_ Starla thought, willing him to hear her thoughts. _Go away._

"You make me happy, baby. C'mon."

Starla kept utterly still. _Not a chance._

Phyre didn't seem in the mood to play this game and started to lose impatience. "You know your problem, girl? You got stuff goin' on in your head and you don't even know what to do about it." He approached and, still unwilling to move, Starla found herself looking up at his face. With Phyre so close she felt the attraction begin to creep in again. They could get back together if she wanted to. They could...

"You know we got somethin'," he murmured, caressing her cheek.

 _Phyre, don't..._

"Why don't you come back with me and-"

She batted his hand away, desperate to keep him from finishing that sentence. "No!" she blurted. "I'm finished with you Phyre! I already-"

"Don't talk to me like that, bitch! Man, what is it with you women? Think you got-" he stopped short as a robotic hand closed around his wrist. He looked at it in shock. The hand belonged to Bunnie.

"The lady said no."

His face creased in disgust. "Get off me!" he tried to twist his arm out of her grip. "What is this?!" he grunted. "LET GO!" She didn't.

"Yeah, Ah will in just a jiffy," Bunnie said, grip still firm. "But when Ah do, you're going out of that ol' door and you're gonna go home to wait for us to call ya. And if ya don't, Ah'll just have to break yer other wrist!"

He shot her a venomous look. "Back off, bitch!" At that moment a clawed hand gripped his shoulder. He looked around: it was Rotor.

Rotor didn't look pleased. "S'okay, Bunnie," he mumbled, not taking his eyes off Phyre. "I got him."

Bunnie let go of Phyre's wrist and folded her arms. She stood beside Starla as Rotor took over and frogmarched the other male toward the door. "I suggest you take Bunnie's advice," he said brusquely, pushing Phyre unceremoniously through the doorway. Shutting it, he stalked back to the worktop.

Starla couldn't help throw Bunnie a shocked glance: _That was great!_ Bunnie grinned in response and squeezed Starla's arm. They took their places around the unit again.

"Yo, Starla!" Phyre's voice came from behind the door. "I'm gonna go cruisin'! Don't wait up!"

Starla hissed. _Childish little..._ she took a breath and called back, "You do that." And without further ado, the three settled around the unit again.

SONIC SATAM

Sally watched Robotnik as he walked in a leisurely fashion around the glass roboticizer tube, hands clasped behind his back. She fingered the chain that fell across her wrists: they were cuffed together behind her back and she'd been placed against the wall. Now she sat, alternately watching the dictator and casting glances at Sonic, who was sealed inside the tube. The backpack had been carelessly thrown out of reach into the opposite corner, next to a grille she had sat behind dozens of times. Robotnik hadn't checked it yet, 'though no doubt he would soon enough. For now he seemed more interested in playing with the captives.

"I don't see why you would risk such peril," he said conversationally. "I am sure you can easily guess the danger you have put yourselves in."

Sally exchanged a glance with Sonic before retorting, "It's because you're dangerous that we do. You're a parasite, Julian!"

Robotnik turned to face her again. "Such venomous words, princess. I'm sure you wouldn't choose to speak so out of turn if you knew what will become of the hedgehog."

"Get a life, Butt-nik!" Sonic snapped. "Better yet - give it up!"

SONIC SATAM

Rotor relaxed as Sonic made that comeback. So they were both still alive! That was such a relief, he took a brief moment to be grateful before listening in again. He didn't want to think about what would happen if Sonic and Sally didn't get away.

SONIC SATAM

Robotnik had begun to walk a circuit of the room again, talking in a self-satisfied way about how easy capturing them had been in the end, and how he was staggered by their idiocy in trying to get the better of him, or somesuch. But Sally wasn't interested in what he had to say. She was focussed on escape.

Moving as little as possible, Sally braced her shoulders against the wall. Once lifted, she eased her hands under her rear. Robotnik came around in an arc, still giving his gloating victory speech and she froze. Sonic caught her eye and understood she had a plan; he turned his attention back on the human.

Watching Robotnik turn away again, she braced herself and pushed a little further. Once more Robotnik turned to face her. _Please don't notice, please don't..._ she mentally begged: her hands were no longer behind her back, but behind her knees instead.

Sonic seemed aware of the problem, for he chose that moment to pipe up. "So why didn't ya get us before, Fat-butt?!" he taunted. Sally resisted the urge to watch Robotnik react and kept still instead. Sonic's ploy worked, for Robotnik snapped:

"Your pitiful attempts to anger me won't work, hedgehog! Even now Snively prepares to turn you into nothing more than a mechanical slave..."

Sally took this opportunity to slide both legs between her arms. Fearing that Robotnik would stop ranting, she put her hands in her lap. She prayed he wouldn't notice that her hands were no longer behind her.

"...and when you're finished with, both of you - and every one of your tragic little friends - will work in my quarries, digging metal ore. Is that how you thought you'd meet your end, hedgehog? No, I doubt it was."

SONIC SATAM

Starla nudged Bunnie.

"He wants to turn you guys into robots?"

Bunnie nodded, looking tense. "But that's impossible!" Bunnie frowned a little at this, and Starla looked to Rotor. "...Isn't it?" Rotor shook his head.

Robotnik could turn people into robots?! Suddenly Starla couldn't think of anything else to say. It began to dawn on her just how evil he was.

It definitely put Naomi into perspective, she realised.

SONIC SATAM

"So tell me, rodent, how will it be? Shall I put you all in the same quarry to work side by side, even though you will never recognise eachother again, or apart? Oh, I think separate, don't you?.."

Silently, so silently, Sally stood. She tip-toed over to the workstation, all the while watching Robotnik's rounded back. _Keep talking, fat guy, keep talking..._ The button to raise the roboticizer glass was prominent on the keyboard. She reached out and pressed it, hoping that Robotnik would respond slowly enough for them to escape...

"It would be nauseating to see you work together. Too reminiscent of-"

The mechanism that raised the tube hummed and Sally cringed instinctively from Robotnik, though she kept the button depressed. He turned; his face morphed from one of confused irritation into a paroxym of fury.

Unable to see the tube behind him, she kept pressing the button for a few fractions of a second longer. Then, hoping that would be enough for Sonic, whipped her arm away and fled out of reach.

Too slow. His cold, metallic hand took her by the elbow. Deftly, he gripped her about the waist. She gasped in shock and looked down to see where Sonic was: the hedgehog had indeed escaped but was looking back and, realising that Sally was caught, skidded to a halt almost before he had even started to run.

"TREACHEROUS BEASTS!" Robotnik raged.

SONIC SATAM

Bunnie staggered back as if the unit itself were the source of her distress. " _No!_ " she whispered. After staring intensely at the unit for a moment, she forced herself to relax and leaned closer again. Starla was unexpectedly touched by Bunnie's fear and put a hand on hers. Bunnie returned the grip.

SONIC SATAM

"Okay, Robotnik, what do you want?" Sonic said, his hands up in the universal gesture of surrender. Sally tried to think back to the last time she'd heard him use the dictator's proper name. She couldn't.

Robotnik's blind fury gave way to an eerie smouldering calm. "Get back in the tube, hedgehog."

"Sonic, don't do it!" Sally pleaded. "Go!"

"No way." he answered, voice rough with stress. But despite Sonic's defiance, there was nothing he could do and Robotnik seemed to know it.

"Into the tube."

Shuddering with distaste at the reality of obeying Robotnik, Sonic skulked back onto the disc that provided the base of the roboticiser. Robotnik grinned and touched a button next to the one Sally had pressed. The glass moved back down, its mechanism whirring somewhere unseen. Sally was surprised when Robotnik took his finger from the button before the tube touched the disc. It was too low for Sonic to escape, he'd never fit underneath. Robotnik, it now seemed, was playing with them.

"Now, princess. I believe you may want to inform me of the location of Knothole." The room fell silent as Sally understood what Robotnik was doing. He was blackmailing her: the location of their hideaway in return for sparing Sonic's life. She knew the deal probably wouldn't be as fair as that. And yet... Sally looked at Sonic, who stood with hands pressed against the glass. Was it worth gambling and revealing the information to Robotnik? It was just possible he would honour his promise and let them go.

Sonic shook his head as if reading her thoughts. "Don't do it, Sal," his voice echoed a little, despite the gap by his shins.

Robotnik chuckled lightly. "Oh dear, princess!" he drawled in mock sympathy.

SONIC SATAM

" _What?!_ " Rotor hissed. He glared at the unit; he was livid. Robotnik had just blackmailed Sally. He didn't think she'd do it, but he wasn't sure. She'd hate for anything to happen to Sonic. He waited for more, his muscles locked into position. He needed to know how this ended...

SONIC SATAM

Sonic checked the space under the tube, knowing he couldn't get out like this. Nor could he expect Sally to reach the button again - Robotnik wouldn't let that happen. He glanced at Sally, who was trying to barter with Robotnik and skirting around the issue of Knothole's location. He _had_ to do something. But what?

The gap wasn't big enough to get his head through. It _was_ big enough, however, to get his fingers under. He looked up at the recess where glass met ceiling and wondered how much noise the tube would make if raised manually. He gathered himself, curled his fingers under the glass cylinder, and pulled upwards with all his strength.

He was in luck! Without the mechanism doing the work, the movement was silent! Sonic began to believe they really could get out of this. _Just a little further..._ That had to be enough! With one final glance at Robotnik, the hedgehog lowered down to the floor and squirmed beneath the glass.

SONIC SATAM

Robotnik spoke in leisurely fashion, content in the knowledge that both of the miserable animals were in his grasp. _Ahh, now this is as it should be._ He turned to look again at the hedgehog trapped behind glass. That alone was a satisfying sight indee-

Except the accursed hedgehog stood not inside but outside the tube, his expression one of insufferable smugness. Robotnik's fury boiled again. He turned and back-handed the princess; she screamed and went flying against the wall. Sally dabbed her face in shock and the hedgehog ran to help. As Sonic did so, Robotnik hit a switch on the console, locking the door. Sonic sped past with the dazed princess in tow, toward the door to escape. But Robotnik had bought all the time the locking mechanism needed.

Sonic put Sally down and struggled to force the door. He shoulder-barged it once and was about to try a second time when Sally screeched. Robotnik made a grab but Sonic was too fast - he pulled her out of the way a split second before Robotnik's fist closed. The hedgehog ran into the corner, snatching up the rucksack.

Robotnik's body was broad, broad enough to trap the animals. He approached until very close to the pair, and then simply... stood. Grimly eyeing the hedgehog, he drew a gun from its holster. Sonic paused, looking from weapon to wielder. Robotnik had them trapped, the hedgehog realised.

At this point, Sally slumped. Despite the tension between the two males, she pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and spoke. "Okay, Julian. I've got a deal for you."

Robotnik was intrigued. "Go on..."

SONIC SATAM

Sally's skin tingled in anticipation; a horrible feeling. This mission had gone horribly wrong and she felt responsible. Beside Sonic, the rucksack was slumped on the floor. The modified unit was still in place. Sally thought about Bunnie and Rotor and knew they were listening to all of this. Sally felt she'd let them down too. The squirrel took a deep breath, and spoke again:

"I'll go into the roboticizer. Turn _me_. Just let Sonic go." She searched his eyes, pitiless though they were, trying to find a scrap of sympathy. "Please."

Robotnik grinned evilly. "Well, interesting," he mused. "What would you suggest, hedgehog?" He seemed to enjoy having her under his power.

"Don't you dare, Ro-buttnik!"

But Sally shot him a look. _Shh! Sonic, please! Let me do the talking!_ "Robotnik?" She prompted.

The dictator offered Sonic a look of conquest, then stepped back and allowed Sally a clear path to the roboticizer. She looked at it and then at Robotnik, the gun aimed directly at her head. "Go," he commanded simply.

Sally started to tremble, hit by the reality of what she was about to do. "I want-" she choked, fear rising in her throat. "I... I just want one last wish."

Robotnik seemed unimpressed. "Name it," he said tersely.

"Just one last kiss from my love," she whispered.

Robotnik scowled, but flicked his gun briefly in Sonic's direction: permission granted. Sally walked up to Sonic and embraced him tightly.

Sonic tried to speak but she grabbed his head and passionately kissed him. They held eachother close and sure. As they did, she reflected that it was a strange place for their first kiss. She'd wanted this close contact with Sonic but definitely didn't want to let Robotnik know it was their first.

As they came up for air she nuzzled his neck, still holding tight. She whispered in his ear; private words. He agreed to what she whispered; he promised. Then she pulled away and held his hands. Sonic looked at her with wide eyes; the scared eyes of a boy left all alone. "Be strong," she whispered intensely. And then she let go.

Walking past Robotnik and to the roboticizer disc, Sally didn't dare look at Sonic again. The dictator followed her and pressed the down button. Then she covered her face and wept silently.

SONIC SATAM

Bunnie stared at the unit in disbelief. _He's beaten them... he's beaten them..._ her mind repeated in a numb blur.

Robotnik had finally got the better of the Knothole Freedom Fighters; there was nothing they could do. She'd heard Sally's request for a last kiss and she'd heard the sounds of the kiss, hitched-in tears and muffled promises. Sonic and Sally had lost the fight they'd all fought together.

What would become of them all now?

TO BE CONTINUED...


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: "Sonic the Hedgehog" and most other characters and situations in the following story are copyrighted trademarks of Sega Incorporated, Archie Comics and/or DIC Productions. Permission to reproduce this specific material may be granted by the author so long as you email first. (c)2008 velvetdcoolette .

CHAPTER 8

Sonic felt sick horror, coursing through his body. He slumped dazedly against the wall, feeling the cold panels of the grille at his shoulder. He watched Sally walk toward the roboticizer. Having allowed Sally her final request, Robotnik now wanted the roboticization to begin.

Sonic's heart was pounding with the memory of their encounter. She'd kissed him! He'd no idea he liked kissing, but the experience had ignited something in him. And now Sally was putting herself in peril.

Sally was already under the tube; now Robotnik lowered it. _'Be strong,'_ she'd said. Sonic knew that he must obey: he was going to need all of his strength.

And pinpoint accuracy.

Robotnik activated the intercom and spoke to his nephew. "Snively, begin the roboticization process."

 _Now!_

While Robotnik's back was turned, Sonic stood. He gripped the grille and yanked with all his strength. It groaned in protest - and came free! Turning the grille horizontally, he flung it across the room, trying to keep its trajectory above Sally's head. The metal cover flew at the glass tube and smashed it.

Sonic ran. Within half a second he grabbed Sally's arm and leapt. Pulling them both clear of the shattered glass.. he grabbed the rucksack he pushed Sally into the vent.

Robotnik roared. A laser bolt struck the floor where Sonic had been just a moment before. Sonic didn't dare look back and crawled hastily around the corner. Another bolt struck the vent interior, but they were both out of range now. Robotnik bellowed after them, furious that he couldn't give chase. Although neither hedgehog or squirrel paused to listen, they heard the dictator scream into his intercom, "SNIVELY! SEND A SWATBOT PATROL!"

SONIC SATAM

"YES!" Bunnie cried, her arms in the air, "Oh, thaink _goodness!_ "

Starla was breathless with relief. They'd escaped! Robotnik had sent some kind of patrol, but right now they were just relieved to know their friends were safe!

Rotor was laughing in elation. "Man, that was close!" The walrus and rabbit hugged; Bunnie looked at Starla and spread her arm in invitation. Starla didn't need any more encouragement: she skipped over and hugged them both.

Starla discovered at that point just how strong they both were - she couldn't breathe in the three-way embrace. But she didn't care! Sonic and Sally were alive! _And I've been a part of this too,_ the hybrid thought dizzily, hugging Bunnie and Rotor afresh with her wings.

SONIC SATAM

Sonic and Sally had left the vent system; they now sprinted down the alley. Sonic was itching to run faster but determined to stay by Sally's side. She was tiring and breathing heavily, clearly in need of rest. He squinted into the shadows for a hiding place.

There was a low window ahead, the glass long-since shattered. "Sal!" Sonic barked, "in here!"

Far behind, metal footfalls echoed down the alley. Sonic and Sally vaulted through the window and hid from the SWATbots. The robots thundered past outside and receeded around the next corner.

Sonic and Sally had lost them.

SONIC SATAM

In Rotor's hut, the three still held eachother. Hearing the final part of their comrades' escape, they finally disentangled to gather around the communication unit.

Bunnie was about to speak when a worrying sound came from the unit: that of panting, or maybe choking. She and Rotor frowned and listened with refreshed concentration.

Confused and worried, Starla looked from the walrus to the rabbit. _What's happening?_ she thought. Reluctant to ask what was going on, she focussed again on the sounds coming from the unit.

Sonic, the natural athlete, sounded unfazed by their adrenalin-fueled sprint: he didn't seem to be short of breath at all. But Sally did. There was something else, too... her breathing pattern was all wrong. Rather than gradually slowing down, it remained heavy, exaggerated. If anything, it got worse.

Starla listened intently, keen for more information.

"Yo, Sal." Sonic said. "Chill. It's okay."

Starla looked up and found Bunnie locking eyes with her. Judging by the expression on her face, the rabbit knew what was happening. Starla stole a glance at Rotor and saw that he knew as well. Starla shook her head slightly, silently asking for more information. Bunnie shared a look with Rotor before answering.

"Sometahmes Sally gets panic attacks," Bunnie said in a hushed tone.

 _Panic attack?_ Starla wondered. _What exactly is that?_

Whatever it was, it sounded horrible. Sally's breathing was still very heavy, inflected as if she were in mortal danger. Her breathing was, however, punctuated by gently-spoken words from Sonic. Starla listened to them both...

SONIC SATAM

Sonic knew what to do when Sally had a panic attack. The princess was usually such a figure of strength, but sometimes the horror of fighting Robotnik proved too much. And that was happening now.

Sally crouched on the floor, ready to lever herself back up at a second's notice despite the relatively safe surroundings. Her face registered abject fear, begging never to be put through such an ordeal again. Her breathing was ragged, gasping; she sounded as though trying to cry, but no tears would come. Satisfied they were out of danger for now, Sonic knelt on one knee and touched her hands with his.

"Sal, chill. It's okay." Sally was still hyperventilating and didn't respond. "Sal," he repeated calmly, understanding that she probably wasn't able to react just yet. She continued to tremble and he felt anger at Robotnik boil in his stomach. He took a deep breath of his own, pushing the hatred back down. "Sally, come on, girl. You're okay now. We're safe. You're gonna be okay."

Then Sally finally managed to cry properly. Her muscles loosened and she reached for him. Boiling with rage, stricken with pity, Sonic held her. "It's okay, Sal, it's okay," he repeated, gently rocking the squirrel and trying to keep the upset out of his voice.

SONIC SATAM

Bunnie looked across the table to Starla; the pink female was standing stiffly, hands on the tabletop. Tears lined the rims of those eyes, half-closed and unfocussed. The alien gulped.

"It's okay, Sal, it's okay," came Sonic's voice from the unit, soft with emotion, gentle with compassion. Starla turned away and clamped her eyes shut. Bunnie glanced at Rotor, who'd also noticed Starla's upset. A tearful sniff made them both look back just in time to see the pink female hurry down the porch and outside.

"What the-?" Rotor began, looking at Bunnie with confusion.

"It's okay, Honey, I'll deal with her," the rabbit whispered, heading toward the steps.

And she followed the alien outside to offer some comfort.

SONIC SATAM

Sonic raced along, carrying Sally. They were now far from Robotropolis.

Sally was exhausted from the panic attack, but curled up against Sonic's chest, she finally felt safe. The memory of that attack still terrified her, but they were heading toward Knothole and she looked forward to home.

She looked ahead and saw they were almost there. Huts loomed from distance to foreground with unnatural yet familiar speed, Rotor's house rising over most of them. They came among the buildings and Sonic slowed to a jog, then a walk. He set her down and they began to had for the hut.

Starla and Bunnie stood beside the porch; the rabbit was talking to Starla, who looked devastated. Sally wondered what had happened. They both turned to see the newcomers, then Starla swung away, apparently wiping away tears. Bunnie approached them.

"Oh, guys, you're all right!" she enthused. Her tone seemed genuine but Sally could tell she was covering for Starla, distracting them while the alien regained composure. Though keen to know what the problem was, Sally decided to play along with Bunnie for now.

"Yeah," she said, and then realised how tired she sounded.

Bunnie eyed Sally closely. "Are you okay, Sally-girl?"

Sally nodded, though she felt the last of her energy leave as the adrenalin rush faded. Sonic looked over at Starla and was just about to call to her when Bunnie touched his arm. "Shh," the rabbit whispered, "Ah think she just needs tahme to herself."

Sonic seemed bemused but complied.

Bunnie took the initiative again, leading both toward Rotor's door. "Ah think you two deserve a rest. How about we all talk over a glass of ol' cider?"

Sally happily agreed. "That's the best offer I've had all day!" she said, and the rabbit smiled. Bunnie nudged her toward the door again. As Sally entered, Sonic followed close behind. But just as they got inside and found Rotor clearing the worktop, she heard Bunnie talking to Starla again:

"Come on in, Honey. Ah think you deserve a drink too."

"But I-I've never d-drunk alcohol before."

"Well now's a good time to try. And Ah think you could use some downtahme with us all..."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: "Sonic the Hedgehog" and most other characters and situations in the following story are copyrighted trademarks of Sega Incorporated, Archie Comics and/or DIC Productions. Permission to reproduce this specific material may be granted by the author so long as you email first. (c)2008 velvetdcoolette .

CHAPTER 9

And so Starla spent the evening with the Knothole Freedom Fighters. She drank, listening to Sonic and Sally's story and discussing a little of what had happened to them in Robotropolis. Starla was surprised to find that she actually enjoyed the social contact, couldn't help feeling sad. It was becoming clearer and clearer that Sonic and Sally loved eachother.

Sally grew tired very early. Before midnight had passed, the ground squirrel stretched and said something about a busy day tomorrow. Sonic agreed to walk her home. Bunnie and Rotor on the other hand had plenty more energy, and for that Starla was grateful. They continued to talk long into the night, about Robotnik and espionage tactics, about life in the village and the value of friendship.

Early in the morning they had a good laugh when Rotor brought out an odd little piece of technology he'd made: a pixellated companion. It was a small white block, and when he switched it on, a face lit up on the front. The walrus said nothing, grinning at the two girls as they puzzled over the strange device.

"So, what is it?" Starla eventually asked.

In response, the box's face mouthed her words. Bunnie, giggly and drunk, laughed at it, and the box duly mouthed along with her laughter. This set Starla into fits of laughter, with Rotor soon joining in.

Benny the Box (as they christened it) silently mocked their every word, though they each enjoyed getting their revenge: Rotor had built another function into Benny. In response to obscuring the light with one's hand or a piece of cloth, its face registered surprise, bafflement, delight, terror, thought, anger or sulkiness.

In response to some of these expressions, Starla accidentally snorted her cider through her nose and had to stand over the sink, blinking and coughing.

SONIC SATAM

Sunlight filtered through the windows of Rotor's crooked hut. A rogue beam crept from the floor, up the legs of an old worn chair and eventually to the pink fur of its dozing occupant. She shifted at the warmth of that light but didn't respond any further until it reached her face.

The pink female stretched, slowly opening her eyes. "What time is it?" she yawned.

The sofa creaked as whoever lay on it stirred. "It ain't early any more," Bunnie answered.

Starla squinted lazily around the room, wondering whether to get up and wash or stay curled up for a little while longer. _I've got a headache._ Bunnie crossed over to the bathroom. _Okay, I'll wait. But I think I'll get a drink of water now._

She returned to the chair and sipped, looking around the room. Her eyes fell on a white box in the corner. _Benny!_ Despite the slightly sick feeling in her body, she dragged the chair to the worktop Benny sat on. Sitting backwards on the chair, the hybrid regarded the box.

"Hey there," she said to a simultaneous response from the box. She grinned groggily. "Thanks for making me laugh this morning. You're funny!" She paused, and raised one wing to obscure Benny's supply of light. It looked baffled. "I think you made me laugh more than Phyre ever did," she continued and huffed quietly, then had an idea. "D'you wanna be my next man? I promise I'll wash _all_ the dishes, _and_ I'll listen to your problems!" she chuckled and Benny mocked her. She posed for the box, ran a hand through her hair as if seducing Benny. "So whaddaya say?" She blocked the light to the box. It registered delight. "You're so sweet!"

At that moment a door creaked open and Starla looked over to see Rotor emerge from his bedroom. The walrus offered Starla a wry look and she could only laugh. He looked like she felt - a little groggy. _Is this what a hangover's like?_

Despite his appearance, Rotor made an efficient start on organising Starla and Phyre's return back home. Soon, the others joined them.

SONIC SATAM

"Starla," Sally began when NICOLE was configured and Rotor had completed the hydrogen bottle, "do you want to call Phyre or would you like some help?"

Rotor and Bunnie had shared the story of Phyre's intrusion yesterday evening and she seemed aware that the male alien might be sulking. Starla thought for a moment.

"Uh... you know what? I think I'll go get him myself." _I'm not so weak I can't deal with him!_

Sally shared a glance with Rotor. "Well, if you're sure. See you in a few minutes. We'll set off for a SpaceTime pocket then!"

SONIC SATAM

Starla experienced an unpleasant thrill of anticipation as she knocked on the hut door. She looked around at the village, remembering Phyre's words yesterday: _I'm gonna go cruisin', don't wait up!_

 _What if he's not here? What if he spent the night in another hut? How will I find him then?_

A rustling filtered through from the room inside. "What?!"

"It's me," Starla called. "You wanna go home?"

There was a pause, then footsteps pounded and the door opened. " _What?!_ You could get us back all along? You-"

"No, durr-brain! Sally and-" _Will he want to meet Rotor again? Probably not._ She coughed to try and disguise the slip-up. "...Sally can. So are you coming with me or not?"

"Screw you!"

Starla fumed with frustration. _What do I say now?_ She wondered how to shift him. Then she had it! "What, and miss your chance with Naomi?"

Phyre looked uncertain for a moment, then scowled once more. "To hell with that!" he blustered, then brooded for a moment. "What is this creepy place anyway? Everybody's so..."

Starla exhaled. She wasn't enjoying this conversation, but kind of knew what Phyre was talking about. "Boring? Quiet? Nerdy?" she offered. Phyre said nothing. "Yeah, I know. You kinda get used to it. But they know how to get us back where we belong, and if you don't want the same crap from your parents as I'm gonna get from mine, then we'd better get back as soon as we can."

Phyre seemed to think of something. "Oh yeah, and that's another thing! What we gonna tell the guys at school? We just disappeared, Starla! What they gonna think? _Huh?_ That we just ran away?"

"Yeah, possibly! Welcome to my world, Phyre!" the two hybrids eyed eachother, both angry yet uncertain how to continue this conversation. Eventually Starla said, "So what do _you_ want them to believe?"

This seemed to catch Phyre off-guard. "Uhh..."

Starla leaned on the door frame. "We could tell 'em the same story."

"Like what?"

Starla shrugged. "We both ran away together sounds better than just me by myself."

Phyre shook his head. "No way! Why would I run away with _you,_ Starla?! Anyway, Naomi saw what happened, you dumbwad! _She_ knows we didn't run!"

Starla's fury rose, but she fought to control it. "Oh, and you've got a better idea?"

Phyre looked as if trying to come up with one, but eventually shrugged and looked away.

Starla exhaled. "Look, here's what we do. We go back, we say we ran away together, and if Naomi says anything different, we just say she's lying. How's that to you?"

"Whoah, sister!" Phyre exclaimed, making a T sign with his hands. "I ain't callin' Naomi a liar! I got chances there, you know that?"

Starla rolled her eyes. _Don't rise to it... Don't rise to it._ "Then come up with somethin' else! Now, I'm gonna find Sally. Are you coming with me or are you gonna stay here?" Starla turned and walked away in the direction she'd come.

After a pause, Phyre followed. _Yes! You did it, girl!_

SONIC SATAM

Rotor stood alongside his companions, waiting for the two aliens. Everything was ready: Sally had NICOLE primed and ready to scan for SpaceTime, he had a bottle of hydrogen gas in one hand. In the other, he held a present for Starla, wrapped in old paper. Soon enough, Starla appeared around the corner, closely followed by a very sour-looking Phyre.

Rotor shared a glance with Sonic - he and the others had related the story of Phyre's unwelcome intrusion yesterday evening. Sonic and Sally had both been surprised, more so when they learned from Starla that he was like this all the time. So far as the Freedom Fighters were concerned, Phyre had outstayed his welcome. Sally and Bunnie had already pooh poohed the idea that Phyre would have any luck with the Knothole girls, though Starla's look of affected indifference hadn't fooled anyone. Rotor sensed Sonic step a little closer to Sally.

Looking at Starla now, Rotor was pretty sure she'd resolved most of her feelings about Phyre. She approached with quiet confidence, without looking back at her former partner. Rotor decided he was pleased for the girl.

Sally smiled as the aliens came within speaking distance; only Starla smiled back. "Hi guys, are you ready?" the ground squirrel greeted.

Starla nodded in response; Phyre didn't react.

"Okay, let's go." Starla seemed content to follow as Sally began to walk, NICOLE held up. Bunnie walked on. Rotor and Sonic turned to Phyre, who stood cross-armed and sulking.

"Yo, Phyre," Sonic snapped, "get with the programme."

The alien scowled, and the two freedom fighters looked at eachother. Rotor moved forward to nudge Phyre in the girls' direction, but he flinched and went by himself. Watching the hybrid closely, Sonic and Rotor flanked him.

SONIC SATAM

They must have been in luck, for no longer than 15 minutes passed before the group found what they were looking for. Sally tapped NICOLE who projected a faint red light over the SpaceTime pocket. She stepped back to give the hybrids space. "Well, you know what to do, Starla," she prompted.

The pink female nodded and walked into the space. Phyre just scowled, arms folded, although he did look grudgingly curious about the patch of red air. "What is that?"

"Come _on,_ Phyre," Starla tutted. She gripped the male's wrist and yanked him into the red space. He grunted with pain but seemed determined not to show it hurt.

Starla reached out to take the bottle. "Okay," she began, flicking her hair. "What we do is stand in this space-" she indicated the red air for Phyre's benefit. "-wait for the guys to get real far back..." she raised her eyebrows at Sonic, who made to move, but Rotor beat him to it.

"Starla, I got you somethin'!"

She paused uncertainly. "You did? What?"

He stepped forward, offering a wrapped-up package. "This!"

She frowned in confusion, then gripped the bottle between elbow and waist to scrutinise the contents of the paper. From this distance, Sally barely saw the corner of a white box.

Starla looked up with a laugh. "Aww, shucks, Rotor! Thanks!"

Phyre craned his neck for a view but Starla hurriedly wrapped it again and playfully held it away. "Anyway," she said, picking up the narrative again, "we wait for Sonic to get the guys away, 'cuz if they don't, they'll come through with us. Sonic?" she prompted, and the hedgehog nodded.

"Good luck, Starla," he said, and the pair smiled at eachother. "And you, Phyre," headded, sounding a little gruffer.

Phyre said nothing.

"Okay, line up guys," Sonic declared, and the tem linked hands, ready to escape. "Juice and jam time!"

SONIC SATAM

"What _is_ that?" Phyre persisted, trying to get at the package. But Starla wasn't at all interested in revealing the gift.

"Wait and find out later!" She hid the package behind her back, but Phyre reached around to grab it.

SONIC SATAM

From the periphery of the village, Bunnie and the gang watched the two hybrids fight and wondered if they'd end up messing up their return. Starla hid the mysterious package behind her back, Phyre reached around to grab it only for Starla to grip his waist with one arm. With the male trapped, she brought the bottle up to her jaws, wrenched the cork out, and the duo disappeared in a flare of blinding light. Both of the aliens were gone.

"Well, I guess that's it," Sally said, and the animals parted company. Sonic took Sally's hand and headed for the river, and Rotor began the walk back home. After a moment's thought, Bunnie decided to tag along with him.

"So what was in the paper?" She asked.

Rotor glanced at her and then chuckled. "Starla seemed to like Benny."

"The box!" she laughed, understanding. "Oh, Rotor, you gave her the box!"

"Uh huh!" he replied. "Well, it's gotta be better than Phyre!"

As they went into his house to ride out their hangovers, the pair stifled another chuckle.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Antoine dropped his suitcase onto the top step with a heavy _thud_. The return trip had been long and frustrating and he was tired. After a few seconds' rest, he fished a key from his pocket and unlocked the front door. It swung open to reveal his home, dark and familiar...

Then he noticed a line of string threaded from one side to the other, loaded with pieces of paper spelling: W-E-L-C-O-M-E-B-A-C-K-A-N-T-O-I-N-E-!

Sonic and Sally, Bunnie, Rotor and Tails leapt out from behind the furniture with a cheerful cry. "SURPRIIIIIIISE!"

Antoine was briefly lost for words. "Ah... but zank-you, my... my very good friends!"

"No biggie, Ant!" Sonic exclaimed and approached with a bottle of cider, closely followed by Bunnie.

"Welcome back, Sugartwan!" the rabbit sang, and hugged him.

Tired as Antoine was, he couldn't resist her infectious enthusiasm and hugged back. He looked around at the bowls of food laid out on the surfaces.

"You did all zis... for me?"

"Hell yeah, Sugah!" Bunnie replied.

Antoine let out an embarrassed laugh. "You are too good for me!"

"Hey, great to see ya again, Antoine!" Rotor joined in. "And _man,_ have we got a story to tell you!"

THE END.


End file.
